“I want to play against City,” Rooney said. “Training has gone well. I have had 3 weeks off and obviously you lose a bit of fitness, but I feel good, so I want to get out back playing and I am sure I will play some part on Monday
“I’ve been working under the manager for the last few days and the sessions have been very good.
“It is exciting. He is one of the best managers in world football and he has a clear idea of what he wants. I’m just looking forward to playing for him now.
“I came to Manchester United because I wanted to work under Sir Alex Ferguson and then in the latter years, what Mourinho has done in football, in Spain and Italy and England, he is a manager who you want to play under because he is one of the best around and to learn from what he brings its going to be exciting for me.”
With an Old Trafford testimonial against Everton looming on August 3, Rooney goes into the new season reflecting on his twelve years at United, which have brought more highs than lows, but the recent disappointment of failing to build on Ferguson’s legacy of success since the Scot retired in 2013.
Rooney insists, though, that the team is now ready to challenge again under Mourinho.
“Now Jose has come in and made some very good signings, including experienced players like Zlatan (Ibrahimovic), who has worked all over Europe.
“We have that experience of trophy-winning trophies back, so I feel we are in a good place at the minute and we can give it a good go next season.
“I think as captain, obviously if you win it, you are in a position to lift the trophy.
“If we do win it I will lift the trophy, but we win as a team and to me as captain, it would be great of course.
“If the opportunity does come this season it would be good. We have made some good signings. We have a great manager and we will have a go and I am sure we will challenge.”
Mourinho has insisted that he sees Rooney as a goalscorer, a player capable of hurting opponents as a number nine or ten, and the player has no doubts in his ability to justify his manager’s faith.
“As he said in his press conference, he spoke to me about playing number ten,” Rooney said. “That is something I’ve now got to work on and get myself in the right position to score goals.
“But I have scored goals all through my career and I have no doubt in my goalscoring ability. Hopefully I can do that this season.”
Playing under Mourinho, whose teams have previously been prolific in front of goal, will, Rooney believes, increase his goalscoring chances following two years under Van Gaal’s less offensive approach.
“As a striker in the last couple of seasons, it has been difficult with not creating many chances,” Rooney said. “But it’s a different way of playing, a different manager, different ideas and if I can bring my game and qualities to this team, then I know I can create chances and score goals, there is no doubt about that.
“I’m a footballer, so I like to be involved in the game, and I am now playing for Jose who, straightaway, has no fears about players coming deep if they want to.
“It’s almost like a free role and I am excited to play it.”