Wayne Rooney has suggested that he would have lost his desire to play football had he opted to move to the Chinese Super League rather than Everton.
During the summer, then-Manchester United striker Rooney had numerous options available to him but the England legend eventually opted to return to former club Everton rather than penning a lucrative deal abroad.
Rooney has revealed that the chance to 'play under pressure' was a significant factor in his decision to make the switch back to Merseyside, claiming that he wanted to prove himself to supporters of his boyhood club.
The 32-year-old told BBC Sport: "I need those goals, I need that pressure. That desire to play would have been lost if I'd chosen that other option.
"I knew that coming back to Everton was more pressure - that's what I wanted. I wanted to prove myself again to the Everton fans and to try to help this club move forward and win silverware.
"I think it was the perfect fit for me and hopefully in the next two or three years we can do that."
Rooney has netted 11 goals from 27 appearances in all competitions this season.
Darren Plant
