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| Man United captain Wayne Rooney insists he will be around for years to come ahead of CSKA Moscow |
WAYNE ROONEY turns 30 this weekend, insisting he will be around for years to come yet.
And Rooney aims to celebrate the milestone by leading Manchester United to significant wins in European and domestic competition his week.
United take on CSKA Moscow here tonight, four days before the Manchester derby at Old Trafford and as the club's Aeroflot flight cruised eastwards across Europe at 35,000ft yesterday, Rooney made clear he is feeling sky high about his own physical shape and United's progress under Louis Van Gaal.
"Do I feel any differently?," he said. "No, physically, I feel good. Obviously your 30th is a big birthday in anyone's life but in terms of me and football I still feel I'm still young enough with a lot of years ahead of me. I have had no major muscle injuries.
"Players in the past have known when the time is right to finish playing. But I am certainly nowhere near that stage and I feel fitter and fresher than I have done really, so for me it's just a number.
"Obviously it's a big number in terms of birthdays but in terms of me and my football career, it's not important.
"As players, now we have all the support in terms of sports science and all the guys to help us with preparation, training and games.
"So I think it's a fairly young age and hopefully I have got a lot of years to come.
"As for how long I'll go on, I honestly couldn't sit here and say I am going to play for another five or 10 years.
"Obviously when the time comes I'm sure I will know and will have to assess it then but it's something I've not even thought about."
Certainly not while the career milestones keep on coming thick and fast.
After overtaking Sir Bobby Charlton to set a new England scoring record last month, Rooney equalled Andy Cole as the second highest scorer in Premier League history on Saturday.
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| If Rooney scores against CSKA Moscow he will draw level with Denis Law's in the United scoring chart |
And if he scores in the Khimki Stadium tonight he would draw level with Denis Law's total of 237 goals for United - just 12 behind Charlton's record - while also equalling Ruud Van Nistelrooy as the club's highest European scorer.
He added: "Of course records are important.
"I think in these days of social media you see stats coming up all the time. Denis was a huge player in the club's history and I would be proud to go equal or go past him. But if it doesn't happen here I've got plenty of time."
Moscow holds happy memories for Rooney. He enjoyed the greatest moment of his career when United lifted the Champions League in the Russian capital in 2008. And he also scored a memorable volley for England here.
But as always the team success is more important to him than individual targets.
And in a tight group where all four teams have three points, Rooney says United cannot afford to have one eye on Sunday's derby tonight.
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