Manchester United will push for silverware next season says Wayne Rooney

Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney has claimed next season's target will be to "push for silverware" after the Premier League giants managed, in Louis van Gaal's debut campaign at Old Trafford, to secure at least a qualifying spot for next term's Champions League.

The Dutch boss took charge at Old Trafford in summer 2014 following a poor campaign under David Moyes where the team failed to make the Premier League top four.

And despite a slow start to life under the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager, United improved in the second part of the campaign to secure a place in the top four alongside Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal.

Rooney believes the team have reached their target this season but is aware they will need to step up next term in to fight for silverware.

"The main aim was to get back into the Champions League. It was very important because one year [out of the competition] was far too much for this club. So that was our main objective, to bring Champions League football back, and we've done that," the captain said.

"Now we want to go and win the last game of the season and then next season we really want to push for silverware. We're establishing a very good squad who I believe can go on and win silverware next year."

Rooney admits the team struggled to adapt to the "tough" methods of the manager during the first part of the campaign but the club's development in 2015 showed Van Gaal is the right man to lead the side to silverware.

"The manager has come in and been excellent. It's a different way of working to what we're used to and I think the players have embraced that. In the first few months it was different, we found it tough, I think that probably showed in our performances," he said.

"But since then I think everyone has seen the quality of football that we've been playing and I'm sure with the experience the manager has got, we'll all kick on, we'll learn a lot and it will benefit us."