West Ham defender Tomkins admits education facing Man Utd star Rooney

West Ham United defender James Tomkins admits he learned plenty from facing Manchester United star Wayne Rooney in this week's defeat at Old Trafford.

Rooney struck twice on the night.

"Sometimes you can't do anything to stop him," admitted 20-year-old Tomkins to whufc.com. "For a young lad, he is a clever player. It's hard to imagine that he's still so young. We'll look at the video and try to improve, because we need to try and do better next time."

Rooney benefited from one marvellous piece of play to open the scoring on 37 minutes, heading home Antonio Valencia's first-time volleyed cross.

Tomkins admitted that the goal put an end to a bright opening from the Hammers on Tuesday that had seen Valon Behrami and Alessandro Diamanti go close to giving Gianfranco Zola's side the lead.

"Obviously we were playing against world-class players. I thought we started off really well against them, but their first goal was very good. The first-time cross killed us.

"The difference was in and around the box, and that's why they have paid the prices they have for the world-class players they have got. They pass the ball around and keep the ball nicely, and it makes you think what you can improve on. You look at them and see how you can become a better player."