Rooney turns 20 in November and he knows that the moment of madness he has shown in his teenage years need to be left behind if he is realise his full potential.

On duty for England against Denmark in a friendly here Wednesday, Rooney said that he was determined to behave himself.

"Moving to a club like Manchester United was always going to benefit me a lot, playing with the players I'm playing with and working with Sir Alex (Ferguson)," he said.

During his first year at Old Trafford, after leaving Everton, Rooney was criticised for repeatedly swearing on the pitch, with the argument that he was setting a bad example to youngsters.

"I've learnt a lot and I think I've matured a lot, both on and off the field. I think I had to move on (from Everton), for myself, and I think it has really benefited me," Rooney added.

He is increasingly aware of the responsibility on his shoulders from a sporting and disciplinary perspective.

"I'm looking to mature a lot more than I have done in previous seasons," he said.

"I want to make sure I don't get booked for dissent. If you look at any match, every player's doing it. But it gets highlighted a lot more because of who I am."

"I'm looking to cut out the silly bookings."

Rooney launched himself onto the international stage in superb fashion during Euro 2004, but there were plenty who felt Ferguson had paid too much for him when he prised him away from Everton following intense competition from Newcastle.

The 27 million pounds fee was partly repaid by 17 goals in his first season at United, and he has no regrets about choosing Old Trafford over Chelsea, despite Jose Mourinho's team winning the Premiership title.

"Obviously Chelsea have a lot of money and some players see that as a good opportunity to do whatever, but I chose United because it was the best move for me. I really didn't fancy going to live in London.

"I wanted to stay close to home (in Liverpool). Once I knew United were interested, there was only one place I was going.''