Hot-shot Rooney knocks Spurs out

MANCHESTER United captain Wayne Rooney put his off–field problems aside to knock out Tottenham and put Manchester City within Louis van Gaal’s sights.

The day after a video was released by The Sun of Rooney apparently being knocked out by former team–mate Phil Bardsley, the 29 year old responded in the perfect way on the pitch.

Rooney scored the third goal in a rampant 3–0 win for the Red Devils at Old Trafford.

The England skipper was delighted to secure a vital win for United, but disappointed the story was leaked on the eve of the game: “That’s the world we live in today. It’s in my own home, it’s not public, it’s what friends do – they mess around in the house,” he said.

Rooney insisted publication of the story didn’t distract him in the build–up to the game: “I’ve just been focused on the game,” he said. “It’s more interesting for other people rather than for me. You’ve seen today, I’ve done a professional job and helped my team win 3–0.”

Rooney’s focus on the match, which came six days after an FA Cup defeat to Arsenal, seemed unshakeable. For eight months Van Gaal has been promising United fans everything would soon start to click into place, and it finally did yesterday.

Fellaini, Michael Carrick and Rooney found the net in a clinical first–half display that had all the hallmarks of the Sir Alex Ferguson era. United played with speed, width, aggression and destruction to record a win that put them within two points of second–placed City.