Rooney Praises Fighting Spirit

Wayne Rooney praised Manchester United’s fighting spirit after the Reds overturned a 2-0 deficit at the KC Stadium to notch a crucial 3-2 win.

After conceding two sloppy goals early on, the champions rallied and restored parity by the 26-minute mark. An unfortunate own goal by former United defender James Chester in the 66th minute ultimately then made it a fine day for the visitors.

Rooney, who notched his 150th Premier League strike for the club, was delighted with the resilience displayed throughout the team.

“We didn’t start well today and when it got to 2-0 [down] we knew that we were going to have to dig deep and show our fighting spirit,” Wayne told Sky Sports.

“We had to come back quick and thankfully we got the two goals before half-time."

The Reds’ no.10, whose sensational first-half strike hauled United level at 2-2, was also asked whether his landmark goal was one of his best ever.

“Probably, but I haven’t seen it back properly yet," Rooney replied. "It bounced nicely for me and I had a go.

"It was a big goal for us at an important time in the game. Once we got the third goal we tried to kill the game off [with another]. That didn’t happen. But it's a great result for us today."

United's win – the fifth in a row in all competitions – lifted the Reds to sixth in the table prior to the other Boxing Day games beginning.

“We are starting to show some real quality now," added Rooney.

"We’re having a go and we’re fighting for each other. We’re ready for the challenge and hopefully we can surprise a few people.”