Wayne Rooney collected the 2010 Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year award - and revealed he hoped to one day become a top-class manager.

The 24 year-old topped the poll of journalists with just over 81 per cent of a record number of votes cast, finishing ahead of Chelsea forward Didier Drogba and Manchester City's Carlos Tevez to win the prestigious accolade, which has been running since 1948.

Both United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and England manager Fabio Capello were present to watch Rooney, who led Manchester United's ultimately unsuccessful challenge to Chelsea for the Premier League title, receive his award at the FWA's gala dinner at the Lancaster London Hotel on Thursday evening.

Rooney, who scored 34 goals in all competitions this term, admitted it was a privilege to follow the likes of World Cup winners Bobby Moore and Sir Bobby Charlton to be named Footballer of the Year, and revealed he intended to stay involved in the game for many years to come.

"I would like to [step into management]," Rooney said.

"I joined Everton when I was nine years old and football has been a massive part of my life.

"When you do stop playing, I want to be involved in football.

"I started doing my coaching badges this year, and probably did not do as many classes as I would have liked.

"Hopefully I can continue them next year.

"I love football and enjoy football - I can't see myself running a restaurant, I want to be in football.

"But now I am only 24. Hopefully I can progress and the best years are still ahead of me.

"I am always learning every day, and take things in from all my team-mates.

"As a player you are never the finished article. I want to keep learning and getting better."

Rooney's immediate attention, however, will now turn to the World Cup.

The striker has been struggling with ankle and groin problems since United's Champions League quarter-final first-leg defeat to Bayern Munich on March 30.

But now Rooney is focused on recovering full fitness and is relishing leading England's World Cup campaign in South Africa as Fabio Capello's squad aim to emulate the 1966 success.

England line-up in Group C in South Africa alongside Algeria and Slovenia and begin their campaign against the United States in Rustenburg on June 12.

Rooney, who is regarded as integral to England's hopes this summer, added: "There's a week's break now before we meet up with England and I am looking forward to the biggest tournament in the world and I cannot wait for that first game.

"The expectation is for other people to talk about and think about.

"For me I am just looking to get myself right to get to the World Cup and do my best and with a bit of luck, hopefully we can be successful."

Preparations for the finals begin in earnest with friendlies against Mexico, at Wembley on May 24, and Japan, in Graz, Austria on May 30.

Rooney added: "I am looking forward to getting there with the lads and start the training for the game against Mexico and then it will be on to the World Cup.

"We have got the players and the quality to do well and succeed at the World Cup.

"Hopefully we can stay injury-free from now on. If we can do that and all be at our best, then we definitely have the players to do well."