Former England captain Wayne Rooney, who helped revitalise one of Major League Soccer's original superpowers when he joined DC United last year, still feels he possesses the quality to compete in the Premier League.
The 33-year-old former Manchester United and Everton captain, speaking in an interview, said he was not a fading force and he could still compete against some of the world's best players.
"If I'm being honest, quality wise I can still play in the Premier League. I know that, I've always been a confident person, so I have high expectations from myself," said Rooney.
"I came here expecting to do well, I think that was a surprise for people who had their opinions which is fair enough but I never doubted myself," he added.
Rooney, who joined DC United last July and guided them to a major midseason turnaround, scoring 12 goals and adding seven assists in 20 appearances as United went from last place to a playoff berth.
He was named as a finalist for the MLS Most Valuable Player Award.
It was a remarkable turnaround for a club that had won three of the first four MLS Cups after the league launched in 1996 but had fallen on tough times in recent years.
