Wayne Rooney says Manchester United's success during his playing days was down to the communication they built up playing video games on the team bus.

Speaking on his BBC podcast The Wayne Rooney Show, the former United, Everton and England forward said he and his team-mates would play five-versus-five on the army game SOCOM on the PlayStation Portable.

"I really believe a big part of our success was playing on the PSP," said Rooney, who won five Premier League titles and a Champions League under Sir Alex Ferguson.

"It got us communicating more - we used to play it on the plane, on the team bus.

"It would be me, Rio [Ferdinand], Michael Carrick, John O'Shea, Wes Brown. You have to talk, you have to tactically be right, go and revive people when they get killed and it was a massive part of our success - ask any of those players, it was brilliant."

Rooney even says his team-mates' playing styles on the video game reflected what they were like on the pitch at Old Trafford.

"How you played that game reflected that player, how they play the game," he added. "Michael Carrick was a little sneaky calm one, you would be lying down hiding and you'd hear a little grenade bouncing by where he'd thrown it.

"I was just all in, straight in, frontline of the trenches, get in there."

However, it was not to everyone's taste, as Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar would attest.

"Edwin van der Sar used to get annoyed, because we're on the team bus and there's just shouting on the team bus all over the place where you are telling people where you are," said Rooney.

"Sometimes if they have got one player left, you communicate, so you flank them, go and get them. Van der Sar used to get annoyed and move, he used to try and get as far away from us as possible!"

West Ham need 'good foundation'

Rooney also spoke about West Ham's troubles on his most recent podcast, and said the Hammers need to build a "good foundation" rather than jumping between managers as Graham Potter is under growing pressure.

Following Saturday's 2-1 loss against Crystal Palace multiple sources told BBC Sport that Potter is under significant internal scrutiny with the club now considering managerial alternatives.

The 50-year-old took charge in January - replacing Julen Loptegui - but has won just six of his 25 games at the helm, losing 14 and drawing five.

Nuno Espirito Santo, who was recently sacked by Nottingham Forest, is understood to be among the options to replace Potter, while former boss Slaven Bilic and ex-Wolves manager Gary O'Neil arealso in the mix.

If West Ham opt for a change in the dugout then it would be their third appointment since David Moyes left in May 2024.

"It takes time to then get players out, get players in and then before you know it, that manager doesn't get the results and then they're gone and you're back to square one," said Rooney.

"I think for the club to have a good foundation would help."

West Ham have lost four of their five fixtures in the league this term - beating only Nottingham Forest - and were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Wolves.

Only rock-bottom Wolves have conceded more than West Ham's tally of 12 goals and they are the joint-fifth lowest scorers with five.

The Hammers, who sit 19th in the Premier League, return to action on Monday 29 September against Everton where they will reunite with Moyes.

"Brentford and Brighton have a clear way of playing and that's because the clubs identified the managers to come in and they've already got their own philosophy, regardless of who the manager is they bring in and they stick to that and that's why you've seen a progression with them clubs," Rooney said.

"Slaven Bilic before - I know that was a while ago, and maybe talk of him coming back - has a different philosophy and when you're changing from philosophy to philosophy, which Manchester United have been doing in terms of [Erik] Ten Hag and now Ruben Amorim, it is a completely different way."