Post-Match Quotes

Quotes Sheet | Rooney July 31

IMAGE: Rooney match iso

On broken nose and being through this before... 
"Yeah, a lot. I'm used to it and it is what it is. My mindset is set on Saturday which is great. I'll be available for Saturday, no problems."

On amount of times breaking nose... 
"A few times so I'm used to it. Last time was a couple of years ago. It's part of football and I think it was a complete accident. These things happen."


On wearing protection if you play... 
"No, I'll be fine. It actually has settled down quite quick. Not much swelling, obviously it looks a bit worse with the black eye or whatever but it feels fine and I've had no problems sleeping so I'll play as normal. Of course if I bang on it it'll be painful and we'll have to see what happens after that, but I'll play as normal."

On his adjustment to MLS...
"Yeah, we knew it would take a bit of time after six weeks of vacation. I knew I wasn't going to come in and start every game from the first week I was here so built a plan and I think was important we stuck to it. Me and the coaches spoke about playing part of the first game and starting the second, maybe 60 or 70 minutes, play the second game from the bench, then hopefully get 90 minutes in the fourth game which has worked perfectly. I feel like I am up to speed and still feel a hunger for football. I feel like I'm ready enough to play in all games."

On goal against Colorado... 
"I think it was a good play to get Lucho [Acosta] on the ball. I know when he gets the ball he can find passes and so I managed to just peel off the center and he played a nice ball through to me and I managed to finish it. It was a good, good move and a great pass which made my job a bit easier."

On combinations you have created in the midfield... 
"Yeah of course it takes time to obviously know each others' games and for me to know there's more and for them to know my game also. But I think there has been some really promising signs. We have created chances. If we were a bit more clinical in the last game then we could've been two or three up when the game was finished. But it's nice, as an attacking player, it's nice when you're creating chances because we know when we keep creating chances then we all score more goals. I think there's really positive signs.”

On relationship with Luciano Acosta... 
"Yeah it's good. Obviously a little bit of a language barrier, but football is what it is. Whether you can speak the same language or not, you learn from training and playing with each other. He's a clever football player and I think it's important that the two of us try and feed off each other because we know we, us two, can be the ones to win us games, especially when the games are tight. The onus is probably on the two of us to win those games. Or when we're in a sticky situation to try and get us out of it."

On last time speaking with Tim Howard... 
"I spoke to him at Everton actually, I think was the last time I spoke to Tim. I didn't manage to see him after, I was getting treatment and stuff but I spoke to him before the game. Tim is a great fellow, going really well with Tim. He's had a great career and I think he's actually had the most appearances for Everton if I'm not mistaken. So to go over to England, do that and come back over to the states and still be playing and doing well is a credit to him as a person and a professional."

On embracing role of leading by example after coach speaks on his spirit on field, coming back after injury... 
"I think you have to. Obviously, it is not something that is new to me after captaining Manchester United and England. It is something that these young players need. I've been a young player, they can take as much or as little of what they want. I remember as a young player, getting advice from Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, players like that, it's what you want to take in. If you want to take advice, great and if you don't then that's your decision. So I can only be there to try and help, off the pitch is where we can work on things that haven't gone so well. But on the pitch, sometimes when you add in a bit of pressure, just to come and try and settle the game down which hopefully I can help do."