Wayne Rooney signs five-and-a-half-year Manchester United contract

Wayne Rooney signs five-and-a-half-year Manchester United contract

Wayne Rooney has signed a new contract with Manchester United worth around £85m over the next five-and a-half years that will keep him at the club until he is 33. The contract is calculated to worth around £300,000-a-week,making him the highest paid Player in the English Premier League. He is set to become captain next season, with Nemanja Vidic, the current incumbent, having announced he will leave United this summer.

The news provides a major boost to David Moyes during in what is proving a difficult first season as manager, following Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement.

"I am made up to be staying at United," Rooney told the club website. "In August I will have been at the club for 10 years and during that time I have played with some fantastic players and won everything that I hoped I would when I first signed. I now have the chance as one of the club's senior players to help the younger players coming through and to be a part of another great United team.

"The fans have always been a huge part of this club and the support they have given me since my debut against Fenerbahce has been amazing. I am very grateful to all United fans around the world for their continued support.

"I am really excited to be a part of the club's future and want to thank David Moyes and Ed Woodward for their belief and support in me. I am convinced that this is the start of another successful chapter in Manchester United's history."

Moyes said: "Wayne has been the best player in England since I put him into the Everton first team in 2003. Since becoming United manager in July last year, I have enjoyed working with him and seeing just how he has developed his incredible talent. With his ability, his experience and his desire to succeed, he is a vital part of my plans for the future and I'm absolutely thrilled he has accepted the challenge.

"I said last July that Wayne has an outstanding chance to be a true legend of this club's long and rich history. He is just 42 goals away from overtaking Sir Bobby our record goalscorer and becoming the first United player to hit 250 goals for the club. These opportunities only come to special players and I'm confident Wayne will set a new record that will take decades to reach."

With talks having begun after Christmas it is understood that the football part of the terms were agreed some time ago – extending his contract, which had 18 months left to run by an additional four years –with image rights the last hold-up decided this week.

Rooney has registered 208 goals in 430 appearances for United, so if he stays injury free should become the club's all-time leading scorer, passing Sir Bobby Charlton's mark of 247 goals in 754 games.