Wayne Rooney Opens Up on Manchester United Future and Hails Sir Alex Ferguson

Wayne Rooney doesn't "see any reason why" he won't complete his current five-year contract with Manchester United.

The powerful forward, who inked a mega £300,000-per-week deal earlier this year, recently suggested his thoughts of leaving the club have passed. Rooney admitted he would like to stay during a special 10-year anniversary interview with MUTV.

"I hope so," he said, per Chris Wheeler's MailOnline report. "I think the plan is I've just signed new long-term deal at the club and hopefully in five years’ time we'll be sat down for a 15-year one (interview). I don't see any reason why not."

United's Twitter account posted an image of highlights from Rooney's stay to coincide with the interview's release:

The England international also confirmed he harbours no hard feelings toward former manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Despite a public fallout with Ferguson toward the end of the Scotsman's United reign, Rooney appears to have settled matters with the man who took him from Merseyside to Manchester, per Wheeler:

"

He was vitally important. I’m grateful to him for having the faith to bring me in from Everton. I think he’s an incredible person and manager, the way you see his desire for the game. He certainly helped me a lot and helped us all.

At the time I was coming into the squad as a young lad and there were a few other young lads. He brought all that together and made us world (club) champions. I’m very grateful for everything he’s done.

"

Jon Super/Associated Press

Rooney made the £25.4 million switch from Goodison Park in 2004. He has remained a key player ever since his debut hat-trick against Fenerbahce, but his United career has threatened to reach a crashing halt numerous times during the last decade.

He was said to have handed in a transfer request during the 2010 season after a "series of disagreements" with Fergie, per the Metro. He questioned the club's ambition at the same time, suggesting he would exit if world-class signings weren't made.

However, it was Ferguson's departing comments on the hard-working player that most seriously tested Rooney's desire to reach his landmark season with the club.

Ferguson suggested the player handed in a second transfer request as the 2012-13 campaign came to a close. The retiring manager had no problem dropping Rooney for key encounters—most notably against Real Madrid in the Champions League—and appeared set to continue frustrating his talisman until the very last.

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Rooney denied handing in the latter transfer request, despite Ferguson reiterating the player's alleged desire to leave in his autobiography.

David Moyes restored Rooney to his preferred striking position upon taking charge of the club, while new boss Louis van Gaal handed the long-serving player captaincy ahead of the current campaign.

Van Gaal and the United board also finally managed to deliver top-quality signings for Rooney to work alongside. The likes of Angel Di Maria, Radamel Falcao, Daley Blind, Ander Herrera, Marcos Rojo and Luke Shaw can significantly improve United's confidence after last year's horrific seventh-place finish under Moyes. They can also help Rooney return to his best.

Alexander Netherton of Eurosport believes Rooney's game continues to decline and that his latest manager offers one final chance of salvaging his United career:

"

Piece by piece, elements of Rooney’s game have left him, either because he couldn’t be bothered to hold on to them, or because of something that he cannot control. First his speed, then his creativity, then his first touch, then his passing. With his lack of fitness now apparent, all he has left is his goalscoring.

[...] Van Gaal is probably Rooney’s last chance now. A maverick manager who can kickstart a career if the player is receptive. That is still possible, but there is another side that Rooney must worry about.

"

Rooney's boxes are ticked—he is vital to the team, holds a position of power and sees stars around him—allowing the often criticised player time to reflect on an eventful 10 years at the Theatre of Dreams.

Jon Super/Associated Press

It often appeared his clashes with Sir Alex were brought on by both men possessing strong ideas and the natural ability to lead. If Ferguson did things his way—which would often disregard the emotion of his players—Rooney was susceptible to feeling the heat.

Neither pulled punches when it came to United, but supporters will be glad to hear the two important figures in their club's history appear to be on good terms.

Rooney has scored two goals this season, netting in the defeat to Swansea and recent win over Queens Park Rangers. He appeared on the pitch in a striking role alongside Robin van Persie, and then in the No. 10 position when Falcao entered the fray, highlighting the Englishman's importance to the future of the team.

At his best, Rooney is the driving force behind United's cut-and-thrust style of play. At his worst, he is a complete liability. While United fans have grown accustomed to seeing both sides of his personality across the last decade, Rooney is becoming increasingly relevant to United's hopes under Van Gaal.

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

The end of Ferguson's tenure may have unsettled the striker, but it's his relationship with the Dutchman that will define whether Rooney makes it to his next landmark anniversary with the club.