Defender Jonny Evans has hailed the achievements of Manchester United skipper Wayne Rooney after the player became the highest goalscorer for Manchester United.

Evans played alongside the Three Lions skipper, winning three Premier League titles before his switch to West Brom in 2015. He spoke in an interview when Rooney broke the club record for highest goalscorer previously held by Sir Bobby Charlton.

Evans said Rooney has been the “heartbeat and focal point of the team for over ten years now,” and that Rooney has “always been the player that everyone absolutely loves. Evans praised Rooney’s leadership roles as he was the man that kept everyone together.

Jonny reminisced about Rooney’s debut from Everton where the versatile player scored goals. He also revealed that Rooney has been the high profile player that he has been around on “a close, personal level.”

Evans added that Rooney would still score goals before the season ends so the tally would shoot up some more.

“He has broken Sir Bobby’s record and you can tell he has got a little bit of hunger and fire back. Wayne needs that fire to play at his best. That is the way he has approached his whole life and for him to perform he needs to play with that sort of intensity,” Evans said affectionately of Rooney’s feat.

West Brom manager Tony Pulis has come out to say he has not received transfer requests for Jonny Evans and that even if there were he would not sell the defender.

“I haven’t had any phone calls. I don’t know if the club have. We wouldn’t see him,” Pulis said emphatically.

Arsenal were almost set to get the Northern Ireland star player when there were serious issues with the backline at the Emirates. The French coach opted to get German Shkodran Mustafi at the end.