USA defender Oguchi Onyewu says his spell at Newcastle United primed him for a big performance against Manchester United striker Rooney on Saturday.

Now with AC Milan, Gooch kept Rooney quiet for England in the 1-1 draw.

"I was over in England for four months playing with Newcastle, and I think that maybe helped me a bit in terms of dealing with English players and the English style," said Onyewu.

"I played against some good English strikers while I was at Newcastle, and I knew pretty much how Rooney would try to play against me.

"I didn't play against Rooney for Newcastle, but I did play against him in a friendly match at Wembley, and that helped as well. I feel comfortable playing against an English style."