New dad Rooney takes Man U into last 16 of Champions League

London, Nov.4: England striker Wayne Rooney celebrated the birth of his son Kai by lifting Manchester United into the Champions League last 16.

According to The Sun, Rooney, whose wife Coleen gave birth on Monday, came on as a 57th-minute sub and helped his team to draw their match against the Russian team CSKA.

Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson later admitted: "I did not intend to bring him on so soon but we really needed his goal threat. He hadn't had much sleep and I would have preferred to leave him on the bench. He was a safety player that we knew we could bring on if we needed him."

"His energy and confidence was very high. He makes an impact. He is such a good player and is always capable of scoring. He was a wee bit unlucky not to score tonight," Ferguson added.

CSKA coach Leonid Slutski also insisted Rooney's introduction changed the course of the game.

He said: "He made the difference when he came on. United looked moderate before that but he is one of the best players in the world - and he showed a high level of skill and aggression."

Patrice Evra, who was also used as a second-half sub, revealed how Rooney had been desperate to get involved despite his lack of sleep.


Evra said: "He wanted to play and he really wanted to celebrate with a goal. Being a dad is great for him - it makes you more mature.

Ferguson added: "If you want excitement, come to Old Trafford. One of the great pleasures of being a manager here is when you get finishes like that.

--ANI