Wayne Rooney: Manchester United striker hopes FA Cup win can inspire more trophies

Manchester United captain wants the FA Cup win, ending a three-year trophy drought at Old Trafford, to inspire the next generation of United players under Jose Mourinho

Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick lift the FA Cup after Manchester United beat Crystal Palace (Getty)

Louis van Gaal will not be there to witness it, but Wayne Rooney and Chris Smalling hailed the launch of a new era for Manchester United on Saturday night after lifting the FA Cup at Wembley. The cup was United’s first piece of silverware since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, and the first at United for much of this young team.

While United’s celebrations were coloured by the news that it will be Van Gaal’s final game in charge, given the impending arrival of Jose Mourinho, there was a clear sense that this 2-1 extra-time defeat of Crystal Palace was both the start of something, as well as being the end of something else.

Over 10 years ago, a 20-year-old Rooney won his first trophy with United, the 2006 League Cup. Now he hopes that this FA Cup win will mean the same to the next generation of United players.

“It is an important moment for the football club,” Rooney said.

“Since Sir Alex hasn’t been here we haven’t won a trophy and we have a fairly new squad who haven’t won much together. It could be a really important moment for us. Hopefully the young lads who have their hands on their first trophy – Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial - can feel what I felt when I won my mine, which was a lot of determination and desire to win more. Hopefully they get that, it can be a major factor for us.”

For all the trophies Rooney has won at United – five Premier Leagues, two League Cups and one Champions League – this was his first FA Cup, having lost the finals in 2005 and 2007. As such, it was especially important. “Obviously growing up watching the FA Cup, it is something I always loved,” Rooney said. “I lost two finals and at one point here I thought it was going to be a third so I am just delighted.”

Rooney revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson came into the dressing room afterwards, a special moment for the players who won so much with him in charge. “It was great for the lads who played under him to see him in there celebrating with us,” And also for the others who didn’t play under him it was great because he was a legend of this football club. It is great for them to see him.”

But United will have a new manager next season and while Rooney did not discuss the specifics, he did say that there has to be improvement after a year in which United finished fifth, sending them into next season’s Europa League.

“You have to set yourself standards and we fell below them this season,” he said. “You have to make sure as players we get back to those standards and we start challenging for the main trophies.”

Chris Smalling has not achieved quite as much for United as Rooney has, having only joined in 2010, but he echoed Rooney’s comments, hoping that the win could inspire the next generation of success at Old Trafford.

“Hopefully when can win one, then when you go into next season you’ve got this fresh in your memory of winning something,” Smalling said. “That is what we need to really build on next year. We needed to make sure we finished the season winning something. Football is all about silverware, and this club is used to winning it year on year. So it’s obviously been quite a drought for a club of our size.”

Smalling is now one of the senior players, at 26 years old, and he saw reasons to be optimistic in the new generation of youngsters.

“You can see there are so many young ones getting a chance, and picking up their first trophy as well, it’s going to be great for belief going into next season,” Smalling added. “It helps that there are so many young players as well, so it is a positive feeling going forward. We are not really an old team, so hopefully that gives us a chance.”