Manchester United’s in-form striker Wayne Rooney has spoken of his ambitions to win the Champions League this season, and has praised the English side’s conquerers from last year’s final, Barcelona.
The England international forward has started the 2011-12 in blistering form, and scored his second hat-trick of the season against Bolton on Saturday.
Ahead of the Premier League champions’ first European fixture of 2011-12 in midweek, Rooney has looked back at the Champions League final last season, a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the Catalan giants.
“It was nice to score but it means nothing. It is not a goal I will always look back on and remember. We lost the game, so I don’t want to think about it too much. It just goes to the back of my mind. I want to help us win games,” he told MUTV.
Barcelona will again be the team to beat his season, and Rooney agrees that United were not good enough to beat the Spanish side last term.
“It’s a fair thing to say. They are so difficult to play against. They have their midfield, then the forwards tuck in, so they outnumber you.
“It is hard to get the ball off them and when you do, you are tired from chasing around. We have to try and learn from the experience and believe, if we get there again, we will be better off for it.
“You have to applaud them for the way they played. They are a great team to watch. The aim for us is to reach that level over the next few years,” he concluded.
United have a tricky away fixture in Portugal on Wednesday in their first group stage match, as they travel to the Estadio da Luz to take on Benfica.
[divider]
Fancy a Premier League Box Experience? Click on banner below to find out more
[divider]
