Rooney to stay at Man United - statement

LONDON (Reuters) - Manchester United's Wayne Rooney intends to stay at the club, ending speculation that he could move to China. “Despite the interest which has been shown from other clubs, for which I’m grateful, I want to end recent speculation and say that I am staying at Manchester United," Rooney said in a statement on Thursday. British media had reported that Rooney's agent, Paul Stretford, was in China to see if he could negotiate a deal for the England forward to leave United. Rooney, 31, has been unable to command a regular starting place under manager Jose Mourinho and faces a race to be fit for a likely substitute's role in the League Cup final against Southampton at Wembley on Sunday. In January he broke Bobby Charlton's club goal-scoring record but has fallen behind the likes of Paul Pogba, Ander Herrera, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marcus Rashford in the competition for a first-team place. In the statement, on United's website, he said: "I hope I will play a full part in helping the team in its fight for success on four fronts." His current Manchester United contract expires after the 2017-2018 season. (Reporting by Neville Dalton; editing by Toby Davis)