Wayne Rooney agreed to a new five-year contract with Manchester United today,keeping him at the Premier League club until June 2015 and ending intense speculation about his future. The England striker said earlier this week that he did not intend to extend a deal that was due to expire in 2012 because he was unhappy at Uniteds lack of ambition,but changed his mind after discussions with the club. Im delighted to sign another deal at United, Rooney said in a statement released by United. In the last couple of days,Ive talked to the manager and the owners and theyve convinced me this is where I belong. United manager Alex Ferguson said he was delighted Rooney had agreed to extend his contract. Sometimes,when youre in a club,it can be hard to realise just how big it is and it takes something like the events of the last few days to make you understand, Ferguson said in the statement. I think Wayne now understands what a great club Manchester United is. Its been a difficult week,but . I said to the boy that the door is always open. Rooneys representatives met with Ferguson and United chief executive David Gill yesterday in a bid to resolve an issue that was sparked two days earlier when a shocked and bemused Ferguson revealed the striker wanted to leave Old Trafford. Ferguson said Tuesday he did not understand the reasons behind Rooneys decision,only for the player to release a statement the following day detailing his concerns with Uniteds squad strength. Rooney also claimed he had not been given any assurances by Gill about the clubs future. His form has dipped dramatically this season,with his private life becoming the subject of newspaper allegations that he had repeatedly cheated on his then-pregnant wife with a prostitute.
