Rooney vows to bite his lip

Rooney turns 20 in October and is aware he will no longer be able to justify any shows of petulance by pointing to his teenage years.

"Moving to a club like Manchester United was always going to benefit me a lot, playing with the players I'm playing with and working with Sir Alex [Ferguson]," Rooney said.

During his first year at Old Trafford, after leaving Everton, Rooney was criticised by a Welsh head teacher for repeatedly swearing on the pitch, with the argument that he was setting a bad example to youngsters. "I've learnt a lot and I think I've matured a lot, both on and off the field. I think I had to move on [from Everton], for myself, and I think it has really benefited me," he added.

He is increasingly aware of the responsibility on his shoulders from both a sporting and a disciplinary perspective.

"I'm looking to mature a lot more than I have done in previous seasons," Rooney said. "I want to make sure I don't get booked for dissent. If you look at any match, every player's doing it. But it gets highlighted a lot more because of who I am." He added: "I'm looking to cut out the silly bookings."