Manchester United ace Wayne Rooney says he's proud to be wearing the club's No10 - though admits his hero growing up was a Liverpool No10.

"Ten has always been my favourite number," he told Inside United magazine. "It's definitely been an important number down the years. It's probably more of a traditional number in South America for the best players to wear No 10.

"Hopefully when I've finished people will look back and say the same thing about me."

While he was younger, it was Liverpool's No 10, Michael Owen who caught his eye.

"Michael Owen is probably the No.10 I remember watching the most. Even though he played for Liverpool, I still always enjoyed watching him," he told the magazine.

Rooney singles out Pele and Maradona as two of his greatest idols.

He said of Pele: "I've watched lots of videos of him and you can see what a brilliant footballer he was. He had two great feet, was strong in the air and also a very good athlete. He's rightly up there as one of the best players of all time."

Of Maradona, he says: "He's definitely the best player there's ever been in my eyes. He had pace, great skill and an unbelievable desire to win."