David de Gea has jumped to the praise of striker Wayne Rooney saying the player is a true legend of club and country.

De Gea has won consecutive player of the season awards at United, he has been a rock at the back and it would be a scary sight to see United’s standings without him. With his transfer saga hopefully behind him, De Gea is looking forward to his first season under new manager Jose Mourinho.

The Spanish goalkeeper says that it’s a pleasure to play under a player of Rooney’s quality, who has just marked his 12th year at Manchester United with a testimonial against Everton.

“We feel really happy for him,” he told MUTV.

“Wayne is our captain, he has played at this club for many years and he is a legend”

“The fans, the players, everyone – we all feel happy to be with him.”

“He’s the captain and he has a strong character. Everyone knows he’s a goalscorer and a top player – we feel really well with him [on our side].”

“He scores a lot of goals in training sessions! As I said, he’s a strong character and a strong player. It’s really good to have Wazza in the team.”

Rooney looked to be heading for a more deeper role this season after the England captain admitted his future probably lies in midfield, however Mourinho has insisted that the player will work as a striker or no.10. And Rooney will hope to forge a successful partnership with new signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic for United in the forthcoming season.

[Quotes via Daily Star]