A fresh contract worth £300,000 a week signed, Wayne Rooney will want to mark the momentous occasion with a goal or three as Manchester United pay a visit to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace in the English Premier League on Saturday.
Where to Watch Live
The game is scheduled for a 5.30 pm GMT (12.30 pm ET, 11 pm IST) start with live coverage on Star Sports 4 and Star Sports HD2 in India. The match can also be watched online via live streaming in India HERE. Catch the action in the US HERE, while UK viewers can live stream the action HERE. Viewers in Australia can watch the match live online HERE. Catch the action in the Middle East and North Africa HERE, while the rest of Africa viewers can live stream the match HERE.
If there is any team in the Premier League desperate for a victory, and a comfortable victory at that, at the moment, it is United. Languishing in seventh place, 11 points off fourth-placed Liverpool, this is not the position that David Moyes would have envisaged 26 games into the Premier League season when he took over from Sir Alex Ferguson.
However, now the only thing that Moyes and Manchester United can do is win their remaining 12 games, and hope the other teams above them slip up remarkably.
"We want to win," Moyes said. "We have another big game on Tuesday night as well [in the Champions League against Olympiakos]. We play at 17:30 GMT and then again on Tuesday night. That's the way it is but we'll be ready.
"There's a squad here that's always been used to being rotated and used. That's why, lots of times, United have often been strong at the end of the season -- they make sure players haven't played every game.
"So when the big games come in the end they have fresh players. We're fortunate with the squad we have here that we've been able to do that. We've tried to give everybody an opportunity to show what they can do as well, which is really important when you get a new manager in."
Moyes hopes his squad will be boosted by the warm weather training they went through in Dubai recently. "We trained and had some relaxation time as well, so it was good," Moyes added. "You hope you get some benefit from it. I'm sure it will benefit the players, having the chance to relax. We'd have rather been in the FA Cup, let me tell you that, but we weren't so the next thing we had to do was get them ready for the 12 remaining league games."
Crystal Palace, who are two points off the relegation zone on 26 points and have not beaten United since 1991, have looked a solid side since Tony Pulis took over at the helm, and finding three points at Selhurst Park is no doubt going to be far from easy for United. "Tony always has his sides well organised and well drilled," Moyes said. "The players are made well aware of how he wants them to play and what's expected from them.
"He's had great success throughout his career. He's been a really successful manager in the Premier League. If he keeps Crystal Palace up, there won't be anybody in this room or any other journalists who'd have thought they'd stay up. He's doing a great job with them."
Team news: Crystal Palace: Striker Glenn Murray could be in line for a start for the first time since his return from a long-term injury, while Jerome Thomas is ruled out for the home side with a back problem.
Manchester United: Jonny Evans and Phil Jones are doubtful starters for the Red Devils, with Marouane Fellaini, who was an unused substitute in the 0-0 draw against Arsenal ten days ago, in line to make a comeback after over two months out.
Key men: Crystal Palace: The backline have looked like a well drilled unit under Pulis, and the manager will be keen to see his defence keep a clean sheet on Saturday. Thomas Ince, who scored in the 3-1 win over West Brom, will look to put the United defence under pressure with his pace and trickery.
Manchester United: Wayne Rooney, who has not scored or assisted in his last five matches, will want to show he is worth all that money.
Expected lineups: Crystal Palace: Speroni; Ward, Dann, Delaney, Ledley; Jedinak, Dikgacoi; Puncheon, Ince, Bolasie; Chamakh.
Manchester United: De Gea; Rafael, Smalling, Vidic, Evra; Fletcher, Carrick; Januzaj, Rooney, Mata; Van Persie.
Prediction: 2-1 to Manchester United
