WAYNE Rooney has resisted Cristiano Ronaldo's plea to join him at Real Madrid by committing himself to Manchester United for the rest of his career.Ronaldo, who left United for Madrid last summer in a world-record �80million deal, claimed his former team-mate Rooney would thrive playing his football in La Liga.

WAYNE Rooney has resisted Cristiano Ronaldo's plea to join him at Real Madrid by committing himself to Manchester United for the rest of his career.

Ronaldo, who left United for Madrid last summer in a world-record �80million deal, claimed his former team-mate Rooney would thrive playing his football in La Liga.

But Rooney gave United the perfect boost ahead of Sunday's potentially epic Premier League showdown with Chelsea by claiming he wants to stay at Old Trafford for life.

And the 24-year-old, who celebrated the birth of son Kai this week with wife Coleen, said one of his major ambitions was to beat Ryan Giggs' all-time United appearances record.

"The way Giggsy's life is, you've got to have respect for the way he handles himself," said Rooney.

"You look at the things he done, the things he's won and for me he's the perfect role model.

"I hope I can reach 800-odd appearances for United. The number of games Giggsy's played is unbelieveable and if I can get anywhere near that I'd be delighted.

"I've always said that I'd like to end my career here and if I could emulate what Giggsy has done at this club then it would be an amazing achievement."

Unlike Ronaldo, who was always hankering for a move to Spain to be nearer his native Madeira after six years at United, Rooney is settled in Manchester.

And it is clear the camaraderie and bond Rooney enjoys with his United team-mates means he has no desire to seek a new challenge like Ronaldo.

"Wes Brown has just bought the house next to me so he's always trying to come around to mine," said Rooney.

"Everyone gets on really well. I get on really well with Darren Fletcher. Me and Fletch always try to wind up Wes.

"Sometimes he bites back and once he just called us 'Tom and Jerry'. I don't know what to say about it really. We give him a bit of stick so he tries to get us back.

"I'm a completely different person off the pitch to the one I am on it. On the pitch I'm a footballer and give everything to be that.

"But off it I'm quite relaxed and calm, so it's definitely two different people."

Rooney, a boyhood Everton fan, revealed how he developed an affinity for United early on in his native Merseyside with a shared hatred of their arch rivals Liverpool.

"Growing up in Liverpool throughout the 1990s, United were winning most of the trophies," said Rooney.

"For me it was always a chance to have a go back at the Liverpool fans because Everton didn't really win much. They won the FA Cup in 1995, but that was about it.

"So whenever Liverpool fans had a go out at you, you could always go on about United, so it was always great to have a go back with them.

"Then when I started playing for the Everton first-team and England, I saw the way United played and oved it.

"Obviously I'd played with a few of the players for England and they were telling me about United and how good it was to be here.

"And of course there was the manager. He's a great manager and one any player would love to play for, so they were all major factors in me joining United."