• Champions League

Rooney: Win start of something special

ESPN staff
March 20, 2014
Manchester United manager David Moyes singled out the performances of Ryan Giggs and Robin van Persie in their 3-0 victory over Olympiakos

Wayne Rooney believes Manchester United's Champions League last-16 fightback against Olympiakos at Old Trafford can be the start of something special this season.

After Van Persie's hat-trick sealed United's passage to the quarter-finals with a 3-0 victory, Rooney admitted his team-mates needed to provide a battling display for under-fire boss David Moyes.

ESPN revealed on Tuesday that Moyes 'was losing the support' of some United directors, yet talk that his departure from the club being imminent can be put on hold after they overturned a 2-0 deficit from the first leg against Olympiakos.

Barring a dramatic collapse from Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal or Manchester City, seventh-placed United are unlikely to finish in the top four of the Premier League and winning this season's Champions League appears to be their only route into next year's competition.

United are 12 points off fourth-placed City, who have two games in hand on them, 14 behind Liverpool and Arsenal and 18 adrift of leaders Chelsea, who have played a game more than Moyes' side.

When asked whether the United players owed their manager a performance, Rooney was quick to agree. "Of course we did and we owed ourselves a good result," Rooney told Sky Sports.

"Our fans, the manager, everyone [deserved a performance]. This is a great result and hopefully it can kick-start our season and be the start of something really special.

"It was just the desire to win. They support of our fans has been fantastic. Against Liverpool [last Sunday] they were fantastic. They were fantastic again [against Olympiakos] and we're delighted for them.

"This can be the start our season. Hopefully this is the start of something really special."

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