"We were pretty down after losing to Chelsea on Wednesday and wanted to pick ourselves up before Tuesday's game," Rooney said after the match. "We got the performance we were looking for and we got the result. Those are two of the best goals I've scored in my career. I'm really pleased with them. This is a big cup for all of us and hopefully we will get a bit further down the road."
"He makes me laugh when I see him score goals like that," said Rio Ferdinand, United's captain in the absence of the suspended Roy Keane. "I wish I was a forward and could do things like that. You can't teach that kind of ability. To lob the keeper from so far out for the first one was amazing and then for the volley to go in as well, it's just great to see."
Alex Ferguson placed Rooney's goals in a historical perspective:
"You won't get many better goals than those two," he said. "The boy has exceptional talent. The volley reminded me of Van Basten but it was a marvellous overall performance from him and it will do him the power of good."