Wayne Rooney hopes to sign a new long-term contract with Manchester United “over the next few months”, but negotiations will not start until February, when the player’s agent, Paul Stretford, returns from a nine-month ban.

Stretford was banned from player representation in May last year after an FA inquiry into how he signed up Rooney in 2002.

In February Stretford, who has since set up the Triple S Sports and Entertainment Group, will look to open discussions with United over an extension of Rooney’s £100,000-a-week deal, which was signed in November 2006 and runs until June 2012. Asked about his long-term future, having been linked last weekend with a move to Barcelona, Rooney said: “Obviously it’s nice to get noticed, but I’ve said before that I’m really happy at Manchester United and unless they tell me otherwise, I can’t see myself leaving.

“I’ve got two years left on my contract there after this season and I’m sure over the next few months we will be negotiating a new contract.

“I love the place. Although I was an Everton fan growing up, I always used to love watching United play. They won a lot of trophies then and to be winning trophies with them now is great for me.”

Rooney admitted that he had been wrong to air his frustration publicly at Martin Atkinson, the referee, when he mouthed the words “12 men” at a television camera after the 1-0 defeat by Chelsea on Sunday, which left United five points adrift of the London club in the Barclays Premier League table.

“To be honest, I look back and I shouldn’t have said it,” the forward, who has been warned about his future conduct by the FA, said. “I was disappointed at the end of the game. I felt we deserved more. At the end of the game the emotions are high.

“I just felt that we didn’t get the decisions, but there have been games in the past where we have had decisions. It was a good performance, but a disappointing result.”