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| A Manchester United fan wears a club T-shirt with
the name of England striker Wayne Rooney on
it outside the Manchester United football ground Old Trafford in northern
England, August 31, 2004. (Reuters) |
Manchester United have completed the signing of
England striker
Wayne Rooney from Everton on a six-year contract, the Premier
League club's website reported on Tuesday.
United will pay 20 million pounds ($35.94 million) for the 18-year-old,
with half due immediately and the other half to be paid by August 1, 2005.
There could be further contingent payments to Everton over the next five
years up to a maximum of seven million pounds.
"It was a tough decision to leave Everton, the club I've supported and
played for all my life, but I'm excited to be joining a club as big as
Manchester United," said Rooney, who will wear United's number eight
shirt.
"I feel this can only improve my career, playing with top players in
top competitions like the Champions League and I can't wait to meet up
with the team," he added.
United manager Alex
Ferguson was delighted to sign a player he said last week would make
United's squad as strong as that which won the club's second European Cup
in 1999.
"I am very excited, I think we have got the best young player this
country has seen in the past 30 years," Ferguson said.
 Rooney, who scored four goals to help England reach the Euro 2004
quarter-finals, had been at the centre of a bidding war between United and
Premier League rivals Newcastle United.
When he recovers from his current foot injury he will be one of four
top-notch strikers at Old
Trafford along with Dutchman Ruud van Nistelrooy, Louis Saha of France and
England's Alan
Smith.
United have made a poor start to the season, picking up only five
points from their opening four Premier League matches to fall seven points
behind champions Arsenal and Chelsea.
"We are delighted to have reached an agreement for Wayne," said United
chief executive David Gill. "He will be a tremendous asset to Manchester
United and undoubtedly has a bright future
ahead of him".
At a total of 27 million pounds, Rooney becomes the third most
expensive player in English soccer history. England defender Rio Ferdinand
joined Manchester United from Leeds United for 28.2 million pounds in 2002
and Argentine midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron moved to United for 28.0
million from Lazio in 2001.
United just beat the Premier League transfer deadline of midnight
on Tuesday to sign Rooney.
(Agencies) | 
Updated: 2004-08-30 10:29