Success through sport

BETFAIR, the world's biggest betting community, has donated £26,000 to the Manchester United Foundation after Wayne Rooney enjoyed his most prolific goal-scoring season for the club.

To mark the betting exchange's three year partnership with Manchester United, the 24-year-old went head-to-head with his United team-mates, Michael Owen and Dimitar Berbatov, in the Betfair Goal Challenge. Betfair promised to donate £1,000 for every Premier League goal scored by the forward who netted the most strikes during the 2009/2010 campaign.

Rooney romped home, scoring a colossal 26 league goals and netting a cool £26,000 for the Foundation.

Betfair's Head of UK Marketing Matt Booth said: "This has been a great start to our partnership with Manchester United. Rooney's tremendous goal-scoring form will help the hundreds of people who benefit from the great work done by the Foundation."

MU Foundation's John Shiels said: "Wayne Rooney had a fantastic season for Manchester United and thanks to Betfair his performance will have a great influence off the pitch. The Manchester United Foundation is a charity and we simply couldn't operate without the generous donations of sponsors and individuals alike. This money will help to enrich and inspire the lives of hundreds of young people through our work in the local community."

Wayne Rooney said: "Whenever I play I want to score goals. I'm pleased to have had my best season with United so far and to have raised so much money for a worthy cause."