Wayne Rooney has revealed that the player he used to look up to as a youngster was Jari Litmanen.

The Manchester United striker said that he has tried to model himself on the Ajax legend, who enjoyed a spell in the Premier League with Liverpool.

"When I was younger, I used to watch Jari Litmanen when he played for Ajax," Rooney told The Mirror. "I enjoyed how he moved and got into space.

"He was patient - if you looked at him, he always never looked like he was rushed doing anything. He always used to take his time. Then, when the opportunity came, he found the space to get the ball in the net.

"The more you do it, the more it works. You need to know where everyone is on the pitch. You need to see everything."

Litmanen, 41, still plays in his homeland of Finland for HJK.

Written by
Michael Penkman