UEFA Champions League: Xavi reveals Rooney begged Barcelona not to humiliate United in the 2011 final

Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez has revealed exactly what Wayne Rooney told him during the 2011 Champions League final, which saw United fall to a 3-1 defeat against a dominant Catalan-side.

Chelsea winger Pedro opened the scoring for Barcelona on the night, with Rooney notching a fine equaliser on the stroke of half-time.

But it was the second-half where Barca really started to assert their dominance, scoring twice through Lionel Messi and David Villa as Sir Alex Ferguson's side succumbed to Barcelona's tika-taka without a whimper.

United were chasing shadows during the closing stages of the match and Xavi has revealed how Rooney approached him and pleaded for Barcelona to take their foot off the gas.

And in Iniesta's recent book, 'The Artist', Xavi reveals exactly what Rooney told him in the final 10 minutes of the final, claiming that the Man Utd skipper asked Barcelona to let off the gas for the final stages.

'Rooney came up to me before the end of the game. It must have been around the eighty minute mark, something like that,' Xavi was quoted as saying by ​GiveMeSport.

'And he said to me: 'That's enough. You've won. You can stop playing the ball around now."