Rooney in Tevez plea

Wayne Rooney is desperate for United to secure the services of strike-partner Carlos Tevez.

The diminutive Agentina international has been a hit since signing on a loan deal at Old Trafford in the summer, and has said that he would sign a permanent deal immediately if it was put in front of him.

"It is crucial to get him signed and I am sure that will happen," said Rooney. "Carlos loves playing here, he's enjoying it so I don't see why it will be a problem."

The 23-year-old striker has been a fantastic addition to the United squad, playing a leading role in the Reds' Premier League and Champions League triumphs.

For Rooney, he was a joy to play with, despite initial claims that the two would not complement each other. "We saw him at West Ham what a great player he was and how hard he works for the team," he added.

"I had no doubts that we could play together and from training with him when he first came you could immediately see the qualities he had. I couldn't wait to play with him.

"Towards the end of the season we didn't play together a lot, but when we did, we did really well. He's been brilliant. He's a battler, he works so hard and has scored 19 goals, which is brilliant."