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Wayne Rooney recognises a kindred spirit in Luis Suarez.

But while he accepts the Uruguayan could lead Liverpool to the club’s first title in 22 years, Rooney has warned the entire Premier League not to make the mistake of believing that Manchester United’s decline is terminal.

As a boyhood Evertonian who grew up to become Old Trafford’s favourite Scouser, the United striker isn’t known for his love of anything from Anfield.

But his admiration for Suarez transcends club rivalries.

Rooney said: “Luis Suarez is an incredible player. He’s unique in the way he plays and, on current form, he’s up there with Ronaldo and Messi.

“People say Suarez is a street footballer like me, but I’d bet where he grew up in Uruguay was a lot tougher than where I grew up in Liverpool.

“Anyone who knows football can see he’s got that fight and desire in him. He’ll do anything to be successful.

“Now and then it all goes wrong for him, but as a footballer, I can’t help but admire him.

“If Liverpool win the league, it will be down to the fact that they are the best team in the country. No one at United will like that, but we will still have to respect them for the achievement.”

Rooney added: “For me, beating Liverpool is always special because of who I am and where I come from, but for a club like Manchester United it can’t be just about ­stopping Liverpool.

“We want to win because of what it means to us. This is a massive period. Liverpool, then Olympiakos in the Champions League [this Wednesday] and next week it’s the derby against Manchester City.

“Those games will go a long way to shaping our season. We still haven’t given up on fourth place and we also think the tie against Olympiakos is retrievable. But we have to be realistic. We have to beat Liverpool because we are running out of games, and if they get a result against us then the gap would probably be too big.

“If we win, then it will give us a lot of confidence that the season is still alive. It’s a big challenge – but for as long as I’ve been at Manchester United we have always relished big challenges.”

Rooney has won five titles during a decade at United, as well as the Champions League and two League Cups.

And suggestions that the Reds could suffer the same kind of Premier League drought as ­Liverpool are beyond belief.

“It was the end of an era when Sir Alex Ferguson left, but it wasn’t the end of Manchester United,” said the striker.

“It’s been a ­disappointing season for us so far, there’s no getting away from that, but anyone who thinks that this is the start of a decline couldn’t be more wrong. This is a one-off.

“Liverpool haven’t won the title since 1990. I remember United going even longer without winning it, but that will never happen again at this club.

“Liverpool are a great club and it’s a surprise to everyone in ­football that they haven’t been champions for such a long time.

“But that could never happen here. The sheer size of Manchester United and the fan base we have makes what has happened to Liverpool unthinkable for us.

“This season has been a blip. There will be no more backwards steps for Manchester United. We are only looking forward.”

Rooney added: “It was always going to be a massive challenge for us when David Moyes came here because Sir Alex had been at the club for such a long time.

“It was never going to be a smooth transition because we are talking about replacing the most successful manager in the game.

“The manager was always going to need time to bring his ideas in. As players, we can understand what the manager wants from us, but we need to start executing things a lot better.

“There’s a lot of anger and hurt inside our dressing room. We all hate seeing Manchester United so far away from the top.

“As a group of players, we know we haven’t been good enough. We are the champions, there are players at the club who have won the title numerous times and we are all hurting at the moment.

“It’s a blow to our pride, but we all want to prove to all the doubters that it won’t be long before Manchester United are champions again.”

I'm loving life under David Moyes says Rooney

(Image: Alex Livesey)

Wayne Rooney is feeling the love again.

The England striker has revealed his fear that he was being forced out of Manchester United – and the role new Old Trafford manager David Moyes played in persuading him to commit the peak years of his career to the club.

The 28-year-old Rooney admitted: “David Moyes’ influence on me signing the new contract was absolutely massive. Certain issues did arise last season that I wasn’t happy about. But out of respect to Sir Alex Ferguson I won’t talk about what went on because as far as I’m concerned it’s all in the past.

“When David Moyes took over he made it clear to me straight away that he wanted to draw a line under last season. And the key thing was when he assured me that he had total belief in me.

“Just as important, he also told me things that I probably didn’t want to hear. He told me I had lost something from my game and that I needed to get back to basics.

“The boss reminded me about the player I was. He wanted to know what had happened to all my aggression. He said that I’d lost something important from my game – and he wanted it back.”

Rooney added: “I want to be clear about this: I have never asked the club for any input about transfers. To suggest otherwise is crazy.

“Who we buy and sell is nothing to do with me. It never has been and it never will. David Moyes is the manager and decisions like that are for him to make.”

Rooney: Becoming a dad changed my life

Fatherhood has been the making of Wayne Rooney.

As David Moyes begins his search for a new Manchester United captain, his talismanic No.10 has spoken about how becoming a dad has brought a new sense of responsibility to his life.

Rooney reveals that being a doting father to sons Kai, four, and two-year-old Klay has led to even more introspection over recent years.

“Becoming a dad has changed my life completely,” said Rooney, who married his childhood sweetheart Coleen in a Genoese monastery almost eight years ago.

“The responsibility that comes with being a parent is something that has really made me grow up and look at life in a totally different way. Before Kai was born, the only responsibility I felt that I had was to play football.

“Don’t get me wrong. I’ve still got the same hunger for the game. I’ve still got the same passion and desire for football that I’ve always had. But there is another big part of my life now that comes with being a husband and a father to Kai and Klay.

“These days, I like to spend as much time as I can at home looking after my two lads. In that respect, I am no different to any other fella with a wife and two kids - I want what is best for them.

“I don’t think there’s any bigger responsibility than bringing up your children, and becoming a parent really has made me realise what is important in life.” Rooney went on: “I’ve done things in the past when I have let myself down on the pitch.

“I remember being disappointed when I got banned for swearing into a television camera at West Ham a couple of years ago. But when I look back on that, as a parent, I realise that I have got a responsibility to set a good example. Not just for my kids, but for every kid who watches football.

“It’s something I regret doing.

“Listen, when I am out there on the pitch I am still giving everything I can

to win. Of course, there are times when I get caught up in the occasion. I’m only human. But the difference now is that I understand that losing my temper and losing control affects my performance in a negative way.”

Rooney takes Kai to football coaching sessions and will offer the same support to young Klay.

He said: “Kai’s a bit young yet to have a big interest in football, but he goes to coaching lessons and I am sure it’s something he will grow into. He’s certainly getting a different introduction to the game than I got.

“When I was growing up in Liverpool, I learned the game playing on the streets with my mates. My kids will grow up in a different environment.

“They will both have totally different experiences and upbringings because of the fact that I am a professional footballer.”

* Join the 28 million fans worldwide who follow Wayne at www.waynerooney.com, on his official Facebook page and on Twitter. He is also followed by three million fans in China – a bigger following than the club’s own official sino weibo site.