The 28-year-old found the net twice as United beat West Ham 2-0 at Upton Park, with his first a goal-of-the-season contender.
Rooney caught West Ham goalkeeper Adrian off guard in the eighth minute to score with a superb half-volley from more than 50 yards.
The goal prompted inevitable comparisons with former United winger David Beckham's famous strike from the halfway line against Wimbledon in 1996.
Beckham was in attendance at Upton Park on Saturday, with the ex-England captain allowing himself a wry smile at Rooney's effort while watching from the stands.
While Rooney may not class the goal as the best of his career, he was still thrilled to help United to three points on the back of Wednesday's UEFA Champions League triumph over Olympiacos at Old Trafford.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "It's just instinct, I've turned, had a look and seen him (Adrian) off his line.
"I've tried it many times and thankfully today it's gone in. I wouldn't say it's my favourite. They're ones you try in training, they don't always come off, so when they do it's great and great to put us in that position.
"I think the Olympiacos result was massive in terms of picking the fans up and picking ourselves up. Today we played some lovely football and we're disappointed we didn't take more chances."
Having lost 3-0 to rivals Liverpool last weekend, Manchester United now face another derby against Manchester City on Tuesday.
Rooney feels that United can face Manuel Pellegrini's men with renewed optimism after bouncing back from the Liverpool defeat with successive victories.
He added: "Today was a good result, a much-needed result after last week. The win against Olympiacos has given us a big lift. You can see the confidence in the team.
"It's (the City match) a massive game. It's a big game for the city, the fans and the players. We're looking forward to a big challenge. We go into the game confident after the last two results."
