Manchester United news: Wayne Rooney reveals the five players who controlled the dressing room for Sir Alex Ferguson
Former striker lifts lid on life in the Old Trafford dressing room which saw top stars pulling rank to keep everyone in line with the single aim of winning trophies
WAYNE ROONEY has revealed a five-man group of enforcers kept the Manchester United dressing room on the straight and narrow in the pursuit of glory.
DC United star Rooney has lifted the lid on life inside Old Trafford in a revealing interview in America.
The 32-year-old enjoyed the best years of his career working under the huge presence of Sir Alex Ferguson at United.
But the ex-England captain also says a collection of senior stars also worked tirelessly to keep the rest of the players in check and totally focused on winning trophies.
And crucial was the insistence that no new signings would ever get too big for the boots - even the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez or Dimitar Berbatov.
Speaking on NBCSN's Men in Blazers show, Rooney said: "That would never be allowed to happen.
"The likes of Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand, myself - players who had Man U in them and wanted the best for that club - would never allow anyone to mess that up.
"We controlled the dressing room ourselves. Alex Ferguson didn't really need to control that.
"The players had the trust of the manager to do that themselves."
Rooney flourished during his time at Old Trafford, establishing himself as one of the best players in the world and becoming the club's record goalscorer.
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In that time there was an inner steel to the squad Ferguson oversaw, a belief and focus on total professionalism.
And it was an attitude that ultimately proved successful for the Reds, for in his time Rooney won five Premier League titles, the Champions League, three League Cups and an FA Cup.
His move to America has seen him reignite his career and he has made a dramatic impact since arriving in Washington mid-season.
Rooney's last appearance saw him score a brilliant 35-yard free-kick which has left DC United on the brink of the play-offs.