Uruguay and Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan insists that he could have formed a "devastating" partnership with Wayne Rooney, had he remained at Manchester United.

The 31-year-old spent two difficult years with the Red Devils, taking several months to get off the mark for the club, with some dubbing the player as 'Diego Forlorn' during that time.

His sale to Villarreal in 2004 came at a point when United acquired their star performer Rooney from Everton, and the Atleti forward believes that he could have forged a fearsome partnership with the Merseysider.

"I was very young at Manchester United, and I feel that I was just starting to find my feet when I was sold and Rooney was brought in," said Forlan, according to The Express.

"If we had been paired together I think we could have formed the most devastating strike partnership in Europe, but it wasn’t to be.

"I feel I have nothing to prove at all, my scoring rate in La Liga speaks for itself. My average is well over a goal in two games, and in the toughest league in the world, it speaks for itself."

In the meantime, Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson conceded that he had to get rid of the striker for a throwaway price, because the partnership with Ruud van Nistelrooy never really reached the heights that he expected they would reach.

"We’re all proud of Diego, but the combination of him and Ruud just did not work and I think he always wanted to get to Spain at some point in his career," Ferguson said. "We sold him too cheaply and he was very unlucky with us."

Forlan, however, has had a fantastic time in Spain following his lacklustre spell at Old Trafford, going on to regain his status as a prolific goal scorer - first with the Yellow Submarine, and now with Atletico.

His stellar performances in the 2010 World Cup has also seen his country grace the semi-finals of the competition, as a date with Netherlands looms large on the horizon.

And the former Independiente hitman had consequently been linked with a move back to the Premier League, with Tottenham Hotspur interested in acquiring his services to add weight in their Champions League quest.

However, the striker has ruled out the possibility of a move, declaring that he will "never" return to play in England.

"Tottenham are a club who are going in the right direction, but I have no interest in joining the Premier League with any club," said Forlan. "For a start, Spain is much hotter and also it is my home now.

"We have a great team at Atletico and next season we will be aiming for a top-four finish. We have some very exciting young players and I am excited for the season.

"I will never play in England again, but I still actually look back with fond memories at some moments.