WAYNE ROONEY TARGETS FA CUP

WAYNE ROONEY believes he has the ammunition to fire world champions Manchester United to FA Cup glory.

The striker has an outstanding strike rate in the one domestic competition he has so far failed to win during his illustrious career.

Rooney has scored 10 goals in 20 FA Cup appearances for the club and United need him to continue that impressive record at a time when they have been wayward in front of goal.

An FA Cup winners' medal tops the striker's wish list for 2009 and no one will be more fired up than Rooney when United kick off their campaign at Southampton today.

And the England striker said: "The FA Cup is the only trophy I haven't won yet and I am absolutely desperate to get my hands on it

"I've lost two finals with United and that frustrates me - I want to put right.

"What made those defeats even harder to take was that we could have won both times but Arsenal and Chelsea got lucky on the day.

"A lot of people tend to regard the Premier League and the Champions League as the only trophies that matter, but to me the FA Cup is magical.

"One of the greatest memories from my childhood was travelling to Wembley to see Everton beat United 1-0 in 1995.

"I was nine and I can still remember every single minute of it and the wonderful feeling when the final whistle went. Ever since that day I have wanted to climb the steps to the Royal Box to lift the cup. It has always been a major trophy and it always will be.

"Growing up as an Everton fan, we never really had a realistic chance of winning the league, so the FA Cup was always the one we looked forward to.

"Even when United won the Premier League and Champions League last season, there was a massive disappointment around the club when we lost to Portsmouth in the cup. We all wanted to win it - and it is the same this season. I was man-of-the-match when we lost the final to Arsenal on penalties and the award meant absolutely nothing to me.

"I've still got the trophy I received that day but every time I look at it the bad memories come flooding back.

Hurts

"It's a little reminder of how much it hurts when you lose."

Rooney's craving for more silverware remains as strong as ever. His haul currently stands at two Premier League titles, one Champions League, one League Cup and one World Club Cup. He intends to add significantly to his collection this year.

Rooney said: "When you become a Manchester United player you take on a responsibility to try to win every trophy that you compete for.

"As far as I'm concerned, we have got the ability and quality to win absolutely everything this season. If we can get some good luck along the way then it is definitely a possibility.

"We will need that good fortune because if we are still involved in everything in the final weeks of the season it becomes very difficult to cope when the big games start to pile up.

"The feeling of success doesn't last very long at this club. You get a night to enjoy it.

"You have the celebration and that's it, the next morning the manager demands that concentrate on the next challenge.

"I remember Ryan Giggs telling me to make the most of every single success because the moment flashes past you.

"But it's a great feeling. The more you experience it the more you want to feel it again."