WAYNE ROONEY
On 28 August 2010, Rooney scored his first goal of the season as he netted a penalty in a 3–0 home win over West Ham United.[105] In October, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson stated at a press conference that Rooney wanted to quit the club.[106] This came after a period of dispute as to the extent of Rooney's ankle injury, where Rooney had refuted Ferguson's claim that the injury was the reason Rooney had been dropped to the bench.[107] Rooney and his representatives released a statement regarding his decision to leave the club, insisting it is not down to money but ambition.[108] Following this statement, Rooney made a dramatic U-turn and agreed a new five-year contract at Manchester United until June 2015.[109]
Rooney made his return to the first team as a substitute against Wigan on 20 November.[110] Four days later he returned to the starting line-up and scored a penalty in a 1–0 away win over Rangers in the Champions League.[111] He missed a penalty in a 1–0 home win over Arsenal on 13 December.[112] His first goal of the season from open play came on 1 January 2011 in a 2–1 away win over West Bromwich Albion.[113] On 1 February, Rooney scored twice and assisted Nemanja Vidic's goal in a 3–1 home win over Aston Villa.[114] On 12 February, Rooney scored an overhead volley in the 78th minute of the Manchester derby, proving to be the winning goal in their 2–1 win over Manchester City.[115] After the match, Rooney said it was the best goal of his career,[116] before Sir Alex Ferguson described the strike as the best goal he has ever witnessed at Old Trafford.[117] Two weeks later he scored the third goal in a 4–0 away win over Wigan,[118] before opening the scoring in a 2–1 away loss to Chelsea on 1 March.[119] Rooney opened the scoring in a 2–0 home win over Arsenal in an FA Cup tie on 12 March.[120]
On 2 April, United came from two goals down as Rooney scored his first hat-trick of the season in a 4–2 away win over West Ham United.[121] This was his fifth hat-trick for Manchester United, whilst the second goal was his 100th in the Premier League for the club.[122] He is the third Manchester United player to score 100 Premier League goals, joining Ryan Giggs andPaul Scholes.[123] During Rooney's celebrations following his third goal, he swore into a pitchside camera and was subsequently charged by the Football Association for using offensive language.[124] Rooney accepted the charge, but not the automatic two-match ban which was handed to him.[125] He appealed against the length of the suspension, calling it "excessive", but failed to overturn the two-match ban which ruled him out of the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City on 16 April.[126] The following game on 6 April saw Rooney scored the only goal in a 1–0 away win against Chelsea in the Champions League quarter-final first leg.[127] He followed this goal up with another strike in the semi-final first leg against German sideSchalke on 26 April, scoring the second of a 2–0 away win.[128] This was the first time Rooney had returned to the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen since his sending off during the 2006 FIFA World Cup against Portugal.[129]
On 14 May 2011, Rooney successfully converted a penalty for United to equalise and give them a 1–1 draw against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park in the penultimate game of the Premier League season - enough to secure a record 19th top division title for United, and giving Rooney his fourth Premier League title winner's medal.[
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