Wayne Rooney Relishing The Japanese Rain

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Wayne Rooney is all smiles after scoring in Manchester United's win against Celtic. (PA)

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Manchester is one of Britain's rainiest cities, and the weather is one thing that most Mancunians would not want to take with them on a trip abroad.

Wayne Rooney though is delighted that the weather in Yokohama is currently much more like Lancashire than it has been on the previous trips Manchester United have made to the Far East.

The Red Devils, in Japan to take part in the FIFA Club World Cup, are relieved to have come across temperatures far more like home then the hot and humid conditions that they have faced in the past, according to Rooney.

"It's not as cold as Manchester, but it's not far off," Rooney said earlier.

"But the fact that it's not boiling hot like it usually is when we come to Asia on pre-season tours will help because all the players are still adjusting to the time difference and getting over the long flight from the UK."

Although Rooney insists that he and his team-mates are taking Thursday's opening fixture with Gamba Osaka seriously as they bid to become the first English winners of a competition many back home view as a silly irrelevance, the player's thoughts are clearly still occupied by events in the Premier League.

Two of United's main rivals, Liverpool and Arsenal, go head to head whilst United are in Japan, and Rooney admits that the players' minds will be wandering in the direction of England over the weekend.

"Obviously being in Japan means we are missing this weekend's round of league games, but we will certainly be keeping an eye on the results," said the England striker.

"Last weekend worked out being a decent one for us after Liverpool and Chelsea both drew games we expected them to take maximum points from.

"Of course, we would have liked to have won at Tottenham and closed the gap on the top two, but it was a good point in the end and it means we have got another tough away trip out of the way.

"It is still very tight at the top. There have been some strange results over the last few weeks, with lots of little twists and I am sure there will be more."

Zack Wilson, Goal.com