"A masterstroke" - Wayne Rooney admits Robin van Persie 'carried' Manchester United to Premier League title in 2013

Manchester United won their last Premier League title in 2013 and United legend Wayne Rooney believes the win was a "miracle."

The former England striker divulged this in his documentary titled Rooney, which is set to be released on Amazon Prime Video on February 11.

Rooney credited former United striker Robin van Persie for the 2013 title win. He said:

"It wasn't a great team in 2013. For us to win that League title was a miracle, really, I think. A massive part of it was Van Persie. I think him coming in gave everyone a lift, coming in at number nine, scoring the goals he scored."

Rooney called signing van Persie a "masterstroke" by former manager Sir Alex Ferguson. He added:

"That was a bit of a masterstroke from the manager, to bring him in and have him hungry because he was a bit older as well. He really carried us that season."

Van Persie joined Manchester United in 2012 after spending eight years with Arsenal and had a major impact in his first season at Old Trafford. He scored 26 goals and made 15 assists in 38 appearances in the Premier League that season.

He won the Premier League Golden Boot and Sir Matt Busby Player of the Season. As Rooney mentioned above, the Dutch striker "carried" United to their last league title.

He spent two more years at the club before moving to Fenerbahce and eventually retiring at Feyenoord in 2019.

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Manchester United's hunt for their next Premier League title could stretch longer

Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, United haven't won a single Premier League title.

Multiple managerial changes and millions spent on players haven't got them closer to a league title.

Last year they finished second under former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. They signed Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane in the summer.

Hence, it was believed they will be contending for the league title this season but that hasn't been the case. The Red Devils are currently fighting for a place in the top four.

Solskjaer was sacked in November and Ralf Rangnick was brought in as the interim manager. The club will look for a permanent option in the summer.

Moreover, their recruitment system has been criticized for spending on superstars rather than the players they actually need, like a defensive midfielder.

The Manchester United board have a lot to figure out over the summer. It seems likely that the Premier League title will stay away from them for some time at least.