United remain two points behind league leaders and rivals Manchester City in the race for the title following their 2-1 win over Norwich City on Sunday.
The club have been playing catch-up with the Citizens for much of the season, but have been in a similar position countless times in the past as they look to make a late surge for the Premier League summit.
United’s mental strength has been tested in recent months, having been forced to come from 3-0 down to draw with Chelsea, while battling victories over Liverpool and the Canaries over February have seen them remain on Roberto Mancini’s side's coattails.
And with just 12 games of the season remaining, the England striker admits it would have been easy to buckle under the pressure, but insists the never-say-die attitude of he and his team-mates means they are now better equipped to deal with the challenges.
"When I was a young lad and first at the club we might have been losing a game 1-0 or 2-1 and I'd have been saying 'just put the ball in the box' and panicking a bit about losing the game," he told Inside United.
"Now I'm older and more experienced you know how to just keep playing your game because there's always a chance you'll get an opportunity to score. I think that comes from playing so many games and the experience you pick up along the way."
The United fan favourite has revealed Sir Alex Ferguson’s men are doing everything they can, both physically and mentally, to ensure they are prepared for the business end of the season.
"It's important to manage yourself and how your body feels," added Rooney.
"Training is less intense when there are lots of games and you might take things a bit easier one day because you're managing how your legs are.
"The training intensity probably goes down because the matches come thick and fast and you have to make sure you're right for the games.
"You know you have to be strong mentally to play at your best. We just need to keep focused, keep working hard and hopefully we'll get our rewards."
