Rooney no longer Sir Alex Ferguson's problem

Sir Alex Ferguson is content to leave the problem of what to do about Wayne Rooney to new Manchester United manager David Moyes.

Rooney has asked to leave United this summer even though he still has two years on his contract remaining.



Ferguson revealed last week the request had been turned down, and, along with Gary Neville, advised the England forward to get away during the summer, get his head sorted out and return refreshed.



The matter is not quite so simple, as United will not want to allow the 27-year old to drift beyond the summer without some kind of clear vision of his future. However, as Ferguson acknowledged, it is not his problem any more.

"I have not spoken to David about Wayne," said Ferguson.



"I'm sure he will address it when he gets here. I have no idea why Wayne wants to leave, it is not my department. I am no longer interested in that.



"David is going to deal with that and, quite rightly, he wants to deal with it."

Sir Alex on Mancini sacking:

"It is quite amazing," said the Manchester United manager, who retires after Sunday's game at West Brom.

"He has won the FA Cup, been in the final, second in the league and won the league and it's not good enough?



"I was surprised, but actually no, you can't say you are surprised not with some owners today. You can't be surprised, but I still don't think it was right.



"I was with the chief executive of Liverpool at our reserve game the other night and he told me that Brendan Rodgers, who has not been in the job a year, is the 30th longest-serving manager in the country. That's incredible."



Meanwhile, Ferguson revealed that he is no longer interested in the future of wantaway striker Wayne Rooney and says that his successor, David Moyes, will decide on whether the player has a future at Old Trafford.



He said: "I have not spoken to David about Wayne; I'm sure he will address it when he gets here. I have no idea why Wayne wants to leave, it is not my department. I am no longer interested in that.



"David is going to deal with that and, quite rightly, he wants to deal with it."

Bayern deny Rooney link

Bayern Munich sporting director Matthias Sammer insists his club have no interest in signing Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson revealed at the weekend that Rooney had made a transfer request, heightening speculation over the England international's future.

German champions Bayern have been amongst a number of clubs linked with Rooney but Sammer has firmly denied any interest.

"I don't know what Rooney would bring to the Bundesliga," Sammer is quoted by the Daily Telegraph. "I can't answer that.

"I can answer that we have great respect for Wayne Rooney but there has been no contact with him.

"He's not on the agenda. No, no. Absolutely not."

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Mixed reception for Rooney

Wantaway Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney received a mixed reception from fans during the club's trophy parade.



Thousands of supporters lined the streets of Manchester to applaud Sir Alex Ferguson and his players, but there were a host of boos for Rooney - who the manager revealed on Sunday had asked for a transfer.

Rooney did however pay tribute to his outgoing manager at the close of the parade, but made no comment on his future at the club.

"He has been brilliant for us all," said Rooney.

"He is a great manager. He is a winner and to do it for so long is incredible.

"He is a fantastic manager and a fantastic person."

And while there was varied reaction from fans for Rooney, team-mate Robin van Persie received cheers as he posed with the Premier League trophy, clearly relishing his first experience of being a league champion.

"It is incredible, much nicer than I expected," he said. "The medal has not left my neck since yesterday.

"It has been a really good year. The boys have been fantastic since day one.

"They want to share success. I want to have success but I want everyone to have success. Everyone plays their part."

United midfielder Paul Scholes, who announced his retirement on Saturday, received a striking reception from fans as he celebrated his 11th Premier League title.

"We set out each year to try and win the league. Most seasons we do it but it is good to see this turn out," Scholes said.

Rooney: Reports rubbish

Wayne Rooney has reacted with anger to reports that he had deleted the words Manchester United from his Twitter profile.

Rooney asked to leave the club two weeks ago and, in the wake of David Moyes' appointment as manager, it was pointed out that his profile used the term 'athlete' rather than specifying his club.

This was taken as another sign that the England striker wanted out of Old Trafford where, if he stays, he will be working with a manager he previously had a high-profile falling-out with.

But Rooney is adamant the stories are wide of the mark, and he said in a statement on his official website: "There's a load of rubbish being written about me changing (my) Twitter bio saying I have deleted Manchester United from it.

"I have never deleted Manchester United from the bio whatever the papers are saying because it was never on there.

"All that happened was that I was asked by Nike to add @nikeuk to it - the same as many other sportspeople they sponsor. Funny, no-one's written about that though!

"That change was made THREE weeks ago and yet people are talking about it as if its something that was put up yesterday.."

A spokesperson for Nike confirmed: "In April, we asked Wayne Rooney and other Nike sponsored athletes to add @nikeuk on to their profiles due to changes in ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) guidelines relating to athletes and social media."


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Kagawa leaving Rooney in the shade at United

Sir Alex Ferguson has hinted at Wayne Rooney falling further down the pecking order at Manchester United by claiming that Shinji Kagawa’s performances are highlighting the England forward’s loss of form.

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Rooney, who will make his 400th appearance for United if selected against Aston Villa on Monday, appeared disconsolate when substituted in favour of Ryan Giggs in the 71st minute of the 2-2 draw at West Ham United on Wednesday.

It was the ninth time in 29 starts that Rooney had been substituted by Ferguson this season and, coming just a week after he was replaced in the closing stages of the Old Trafford defeat against Manchester City, it appears the 27-year-old is becoming increasingly expendable.



He has lost his position as first-choice striker to Robin van Persie and now Ferguson’s praise of Japan midfielder Kagawa – a £17 million arrival from Borussia Dortmund last summer – suggests that Rooney is battling to lay claim to the playmaker role in front of the midfield.

“I think Shinji is doing very well for us now,” Ferguson said. “He has fantastic composure on the ball and always seems to pick the more sensible pass. He was terrific for the first goal [at West Ham], showing the composure to take the player on in a tight area and roll the ball in to Antonio Valencia.

“As far as taking Wayne off on Wednesday, it was simple. He wasn’t playing as well as Shinji and we wanted to get that goal. There have been so many games where Wayne Rooney has been better than most players, but on the night, Shinji was playing so well.



“The ironic thing was when we were chasing a goal with 14 minutes to go, I decided to put Chicharito on. Shinji made our second goal, but I’d already made the decision and given the fourth official the card. If I’d changed my decision, I think we would have won the game because Shinji was doing really well.”

Despite Kagawa’s recent return to form following a three-month lay-off with a knee injury, Ferguson refused to add weight to speculation linking Rooney with a summer move to Paris Saint-Germain.

The United manager also admitted to having no news on a possible contract extension for Rooney, but he played down the prospect of him leaving for Paris. “I don’t think there is anything in that at all,” he said.

United face Villa without Ashley Young following confirmation that the England winger will miss the rest of the season, and potentially the international friendlies against Republic of Ireland, Brazil, with a knee injury sustained against City on April 8.

Nemanja Vidic is also battling to overcome a facial injury sustained in a challenge with Andy Carroll against West Ham – a game described as a “war-zone” by Ferguson.

“Vida has a beautiful bruise on his cheekbone and we’re coming out of that war-zone happy to see no one seriously injured,” Ferguson said.

“The team was fantastic in terms of standing up to it. It was the type of game you get with Big Sam’s teams, we dealt with it well and have to be satisfied with coming back twice to get a point.”

“Ashley Young is out for the season. It’s unfortunate and it’s a bad blow. We thought it’d be two or three weeks but now he’s been down to the specialist and that’s why you saw him at the game on Wednesday.

“We took him down to a specialist in London and the prognosis was not very good at all. We’re going to lose him for the rest of the season.”

No PSG move for Rooney

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has dismissed the idea that forward Wayne Rooney will be joining big-spending French side Paris St Germain in the summer.

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A former adviser to the Paris club, Michel Moulin, told French television earlier this week that a deal was already in place for Rooney to cross the Channel.

"Wayne Rooney at PSG, it's done," he said. "You will see, from next season, he will be a PSG player."

But Ferguson said earlier in the season that Rooney would be staying at United for the 2013/14 campaign and his stance remains the same on the issue.

Asked about the PSG link, Ferguson replied: "I don't think there is anything in that at all."

There has been speculation about Rooney's future at Old Trafford since he was surprisingly left out of the starting line-up for the second leg of the Champions League clash with Real Madrid at Old Trafford.

And Rooney was the first man to be substituted by Ferguson when United were 2-1 down at West Ham on Wednesday night, with Robin van Persie going on to get the equaliser in a 2-2 draw.


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Top Richest footballers in the World

Former Real Madrid striker Raul Gonzales is the richest Spanish footballer, according to a recent report run by Goal.com on the sport’s richest.

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Raul who nows players for Qatari side Al Sadd, after a spell with German club Schalke, is worth around €44m, beating Barcelona striker David Villa (€43m), Iker Casillas (€35m) and Fernando Torres (€29m).



Another former Los Blancos player, David Beckham is number one on the list, earning a staggering 200m euros, whilst Barca’s Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo sit second and third respectively.



Another Real Madrid player, Kaka is fourth on the list, whilst Ronaldinho, now playing Brazil sits fifth.



Full List



1. David Beckham (PSG) – 200 million euros



2. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) – € 134m



3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) – € 130m



4. Kaká (Real Madrid) – € 80m



5. Ronaldinho (Atletico Mineiro) – € 73m



6. Samuel Eto’o (Anzhi Makhachkala) – € 60m



7. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) – € 58m



8. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (PSG) – € 55m



9. Rivaldo (Sao Caetano) – € 53m



10. Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United) – € 49m



11. Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls) – € 48m



12. Michael Owen (Stoke City) – € 46.5m



13. Raul Gonzalez (Al Sadd) – € 44m



14. David Villa (Barcelona) – € 43m



15. Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy) – € 41m



16. Ryan Giggs (Manchester United) – € 40m



17. Frank Lampard (Chelsea) – € 38m



18. Robbie Fowler (no team) – € 37.5m



19. Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) – € 37m



20. Robinho (AC Milan) – € 36m



21. Iker Casillas (Real Madrid) – € 35m



22. Frank Ribery (Bayern Munich) – € 33.5m



23. John Terry (Chelsea) – € 31.5m



24. Didier Drogba (Galatasaray) – € 29m



25. Fernando Torres (Chelsea) – € 29m



26. Wesley Sneijder (Galatasaray) – € 25.5m



27. Nicolas Anelka (Juventus – transfer) – € 25m



28. Alessandro Del Piero (Sydney FC) – € 24.5m



29. Miroslav Klose (Lazio) – € 24m



30. Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich) – € 24m



31. Francesco Totti (Roma) – € 24m



32. Petr Cech (Chelsea) – € 23m



33. Neymar (Santos) – € 23m



35. Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich) – € 23m



36. Joe Cole (West Ham United) – € 22.5m



37. Andrea Pirlo (Juventus) – € 22.5m



38. Paul Scholes (Manchester United) – € 22m



39. Damien Duff (Fulham) – € 21.5m



40. Park Ji-Sung (QPR) – € 21m



41. Daniele De Rossi (Roma) – € 21m



42. Clarence Seedorf (Botafogo) – € 21m



43. David Trezeguet (River Plate) – € 20m



44. Xavi (Barcelona) – € 20m



45. Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus) – € 19.5m



46. Ashley Cole (Chelsea) – € 19.5m



47. Shunsuke Nakamura (Yokohama F Marinos) – € 19.5m



48. Michael Essien (Real Madrid – transfer) – € 19m



49. Yaya Toure (Manchester City) – € 19m



50. Alessandro Nesta (Montreal Impact) – € 18.5m

Fergie: Rooney stays

Sir Alex Ferguson insists Wayne Rooney is staying at Manchester United, and will be involved against Chelsea in the FA Cup on Sunday.



Ferguson left Rooney out of the United line-up for Tuesday's Champions League defeat by Real Madrid, since when it has been suggested the Red Devils boss would be willing to accept an offer for the striker this summer.



However, speaking on Friday morning ahead of Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final with Chelsea at Old Trafford, Ferguson denied that was the case.



"He will be here next year, you have my word on that," he said.



"There is no issue between myself and Wayne Rooney. To suggest we don't talk is nonsense.



"He understood the reasons completely. Tactically we got it right. We don't always but we did then.



"There are no issues with the player and he will be involved on Sunday.



"I left out Shinji Kagawa after he scored a hat-trick. I thought I would get more stick for that."



Ferguson is still bitter about the circumstances of Tuesday's defeat, in particular the dismissal of Nani, on which the entire contest turned.



"It is hard to keep your faith when you have things like that," said Ferguson.



Ferguson refused to say whether Rooney would actually start on Sunday. And he again repeated his belief that the 27-year-old needed to play matches in order to retain full fitness, an assessment that has raised so much debate over the past few days.



"Why should I help anyone by telling them my team? We don't do that," said Ferguson.



"But Wayne does need a lot of football. He has always been that type. That has always been the case."



Ferguson said he had been concerned about the appointment of Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir prior to Tuesday's game.



Cakir has now sent off seven players from English teams, but never one against them.



"I was concerned. I said that to my staff," he said.



"I had a big worry about it, but it is gone now. There is nothing we can do about it."

Messi keen on Bale and Rooney

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has hinted he would relish the prospect of playing alongside Premier League stars Gareth Bale and Wayne Rooney.



Rooney was omitted from the Manchester United line-up against Real Madrid on Tuesday night, sparking frenzied speculation about his future at Old Trafford.



While Bale is among the most in-demand players in Europe after scoring 24 goals for club and country so far this season.



Messi admits he would welcome the chance to play in the same team as either player in the future.



"Wayne Rooney and Gareth Bale are both great players, they are doing so well for their clubs," the 25-year-old Argentine forward told the Daily Mail.



"And I always want to play with the best players.



"I have to be careful what I say because I can't see them leaving their teams soon.



"But, of course, I want to play with the best players."

Wayne Rooney fears Carroll threat

Wayne Rooney has urged Manchester United to pay special attention to Andy Carroll on Wednesday night.



Carroll is bound to get a frosty reception from the Old Trafford faithful when West Ham travel north. As a Liverpool player with an enormous price tag, it is hard to imagine the United fans will not single him out.



However, after working alongside the 23-year-old at close quarters during Euro 2012, Rooney knows the reality of Carroll's performances is nowhere near the perception many have of him.



The burly forward will travel north with confidence high following his first goal of the season at Tottenham on Sunday. And Rooney has warned his United team-mates to be on their guard.



"Andy Carroll is a handful," said the striker. "I am sure if you ask any defender, they find it difficult to play against someone like that who is good in the air and on the floor.



"He is physical and makes it hard for opponents. That type of player doesn't always get all the goals but they can cause trouble up front and create problems. I am sure that is what Sam Allardyce wants him to do."

Rooney relieved to score spot-kick

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney admitted luck played a significant part as he bounced back from his penalty miss against Arsenal by converting one in Braga.



Rooney has a mixed record with spot-kicks and became the fourth United player to miss one this season when he struck wide in United's 2-1 Premier League victory over the Gunners at Old Trafford on Saturday.



But that did not deter him from stepping up four days later to take on the responsibility again when the Red Devils were awarded another one with five minutes of normal time remaining in their Champions League Group H clash at the Estadio AXA.



After substitute Robin van Persie's 80th-minute effort had cancelled out Alan's opener - also a penalty - for the hosts four minutes into the second half, it was an opportunity to put United in front for the first time and Rooney, who had earned the spot-kick when Nuno Coelho was adjudged to have fouled him, made the most of it by beating goalkeeper Beto with a firm shot.



The 27-year-old appeared to skid a little on the wet surface as he fired the ball in and he conceded afterwards that he had been "a bit fortunate".



Asked if he had had any doubts about taking the penalty, Rooney said: "No, not at all.



"Obviously I was disappointed at the weekend, not only to miss but to miss the target.



"I said after the game it wasn't good enough and (against Braga) I was a bit fortunate; I slipped but thankfully it's gone in so I'm happy with that.



"At the time it happened so quick, but obviously I've seen it going towards the goal and the keeper going the other way.



"I was happy with it going in but obviously I've been quite lucky with that."



With Javier Hernandez adding a close-range finish in stoppage-time, United went on to complete a 3-1 victory that was their fourth win in four Group H fixtures and guarantees them top spot and a place in the last 16.



It was the just the latest in a host of come-from-behind wins for United this season that had certainly not looked on the cards for most of the contest in Portugal, which they had struggled to really get going in and was halted for around 15 minutes not long after Alan's goal by some of the floodlights going out in a power cut - seemingly to the visitors' benefit.



"I think we can play better football - at times it was too slow but the result is the most important thing," Rooney said.



"I think we had quite a bit of possession, we just needed a bit more movement and speed to our play, and thankfully in the last 10 or 15 minutes, when it mattered, we got them."



Veteran United midfielder Ryan Giggs, who came into the first XI as one of six changes from the Arsenal game, felt the introduction of Van Persie shortly after the resumption of play following the power cut was crucial.



The striker subsequently netted his 11th goal of the season by expertly guiding the ball over the stranded Beto from outside the box when the goalkeeper rushed out too soon, and Giggs can see why some of his team-mates have been drawing comparisons between Van Persie and his fellow Dutchman, the former United frontman Ruud van Nistelrooy.



"It wasn't until after we went 1-0 down - probably when Robin came on - that we started to play a little bit better," Giggs, 38, said.



"His confidence is just sky high at the moment.



"I read last week that a lot of the players think he's similar to Ruud in the respect that Ruud used to get a chance and more often than not he'd put them away.



"That's the case with Robin at the minute; his confidence is high, we're creating chances for him and he's putting them away."



With a maximum 12 points, United - who also currently lead the Premier League - are eight points clear of Galatasaray and Cluj in Group H, and nine in front of Braga, with two rounds of group games to go.

Gary Neville: "More to come" from Wayne Rooney

Former Manchester United skipper Gary Neville has said Wayne Rooney must "improve" and "adapt" if he is to enjoy a career into his thirties at Old Trafford.



Rooney has been playing professional football for 10 years despite being just 26, and England coach Neville thinks there is more to come from the former Everton man.



"At the age of 26 you always have to think that there's more to come," Neville told BBC Radio 5 live.



"We need to see Wayne Rooney improve and he needs to see himself improve.



"Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs have adapted their games,"



"Ryan Giggs has gone from a flying left winger to someone who now plays off the front at inside left as well as central midfield.



"Paul Scholes was a goalscoring number 10 player when he first started as a 16-year-old, now he's a holding midfield player who controls the game.



"You have to adapt. Rooney is still a centre forward, but he'll adapt over the next 10 years to become someone who's thought of in that same way as those two players."

England 5 - 0 San Marino

Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck scored twice as England laboured to a 5-0 victory over whipping-boys San Marino to go top of World Cup Group H qualifying.



Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also notched his first international goal as the hosts found the net three times in the last 20 minutes at Wembley after San Marino frustrated them for long spells.



England, camped in the opposition half from the kickoff, took 35 minutes to make the breakthrough with skipper Rooney converting a penalty after goalkeeper Aldo Simoncini had clattered into Welbeck.



Welbeck quickly made it 2-0 but England had to wait until the 70th minute for Rooney to grab the third.



Manchester United striker Welbeck added the fourth from close range before Oxlade-Chamberlain curled in the fifth goal.



England were expected to chalk up a big win over a San Marino side joint bottom of FIFA's world rankings with only one victory in 114 previous matches.



The visitors however repeatedly pulled nine and 10 players behind the ball and did well to keep the score down, with England choosing to go through the congested middle of the field rather than use the wings.



San Marino had only one attempt at goal and were indebted to goalkeeper Simoncini at the other end.



England have seven points from three qualifiers while San Marino are bottom of the group on zero points.

Rooney my big mistake

Wayne Rooney admits handing in a transfer request two years ago was the biggest mistake of his career.

The Manchester United striker stunned boss Sir Alex Ferguson when he questioned the club's ability to attract top players with ambitions to match his own.

However, any rift between the duo was short-lived as he swiftly retracted the statement and signed a new five-year deal at Old Trafford.

In his latest autobiography, serialised in the Daily Mirror, Rooney says: "In September 2010 an ankle injury put me on the sidelines.

"I got frustrated with myself, my game, my injury and everything around me. I was stuck in a cycle of bad form and that's when I made the biggest mistake of my football career.

"I released a statement which publicly questioned my happiness at Old Trafford. Am I better off elsewhere?"

But he admitted his manager's opinion on the situation proved to be correct: "Sir Alex said the grass isn't always greener and he was right.

"He said 'Sometimes you look in a field and see a cow and think it's a better cow than the one you have in your own field.



"On reflection I liked what was in my field. I was wrong as United wanted the same as me... trophies, success and to be the best."

Rooney admits he returned to training overweight

Wayne Rooney has admitted that he once turned up seven pounds overweight to Manchester United's pre-season training.

The 26-year-old striker also cast doubt on his long-term career by admitting he struggles "to walk for the first half an hour" following a game.



In extracts in the Mirror from his book, My Decade in the Premier League by Wayne Rooney, the England forward writes: "Early July: the first day back at pre-season training. I'm like most blokes, I put on a few pounds after a holiday. Even if I don't train for a week, I put on two or three, but when I get back to Carrington for the first day of work, I'm in for a shock. The scales in the club gym tell me I've put on a few more pounds than expected – seven. Seven!

"Then I remember – I drank a few bevvies while I was away. I'm stocky. I'm not like Ryan Giggs, all bone and lean muscle. But I gain weight quite easily. It's not a problem though. It's not as if the manager is leaning over my shoulder as the numbers come in, tutting and making jokes about me eating too many chip butties. Besides, I know I can shift it in a week or two. All the players are given loose training programmes to stick to while they're away, but they're optional.



"The club like us not to go overboard on the eating and drinking in the close-season break, so if I go abroad I like to get into the hotel gym three times a week to work on the treadmill and do some weight work.

"That way I can be sharp when we get back to training and the running will feel easier when the pre-season games start. But coming back for pre-season after a few bevvies and a few weeks away from a ball is physically tough."

Rooney then hints that he may struggle to play on in his current role as United's focal point for many more years. "As a striker I need to work hard all the time. I need to be sharp, which means my fitness has to be right to play well. If it

isn't, it shows," he says. "It would probably be different if I were a full-back. I could hide a bit, make fewer runs into the opposition half and get away with it. But as a centre-forward for Manchester United, there's no place to hide. I've got to work as hard as I can, otherwise the manager will haul me off the pitch or drop me for the next game.



"There's no room for failure or second best at this club. When it comes to nutrition, all the players know what to eat and what not to eat all year round, but we allow ourselves some luxuries. During the season, I don't think there's any harm having a take-away now and then. The club always has someone on hand to talk to me about diet if I need them.

Couple returning home after a great summer holidays 

"Physically I've taken a bit of a battering over the years; being lumped by Transformer-sized centre-backs or having my muscles smashed by falls, shoulder barges and last-ditch tackles, day in, day out, has left me a bit bruised. When I get up in the morning after a game, I struggle to walk for the first half an hour. I ache a bit. It wasn't like that when I was a lad. I remember sometimes when I finished training or playing with Everton and United, I'd want to play some more. But football has had a massive impact on my body because my game is based on speed, power and intensity.



"Like any player I'm fearful of getting a career-ending injury. I could be in the best form of my life and then one day a bad tackle might finish my time in the sport. It's over then. But that's the risk I take as a player in every match. I know football is such a short career that one day, at any age, the game could be snatched from me unexpectedly. So I want to decide when I leave football, not a physio, or an opponent's boot.

Coleen and Wayne going in a restaurant

 in Los Angeles.

"But the fear of injury or failure has never got into my head when I've been playing. I've never frozen on the football pitch. I've always wanted to express myself, I've always wanted to try things. I've never gone into a game worrying."



The striker, who was dropped from Sir Alex Ferguson's starting XI for last Saturday's 3-2 over Fulham at Old Trafford then taken off on a stretcher with an injury which will sideline him for four weeks, also discusses the previous time he was left out for United, following a 5-0 win over Wigan Athletic on Boxing Day last year.



"I'm happy at Manchester United, despite the downs that sometimes take place at a football club. Like when we stuff Wigan 5-0 on Boxing Day. I go out for dinner with a few of the lads, and our other halves, to a hotel. The next day, the manager pulls me up and tells me he's not happy and doesn't feel I've trained properly. He fines me, but there's worse to come. I'm dropped for the next game, on New Year's Eve, against Blackburn. At a lot of clubs, people wouldn't bat an eyelid at players having a night out six days before a game. But that's the difference at Manchester United and a mark of the high standards the manager demands. It's a big deal, another lesson learned.



"The following week I had to sit in the stands and watch us lose 3-2 to Blackburn. It's the worst feeling when that happens. It was terrible. Blackburn looked certainties for relegation, yet we were worse than them. As I watched I feel desperate and helpless, just like all the other United fans watching the defeat unfold."



Rooney suffered a gashed leg after coming on as a replacement against Fulham and he admits any absence through injury "messes" with his head. "When I'm injured I get wound up and nervy watching games. It's like being a fan all over again, probably more nerve-racking than actually playing. It's so frustrating. I can't influence the game at all. I'm helpless. There's nothing I can do to change the result and help my mates win. I try to keep a happy face on when I'm around the other lads afterwards, but it's hard.

Now Rooney blames summer holidays bevies. 

"When I'm out injured I know I can't train or help the lads prepare for the next match so, typically, I get grumpy, a bit like someone would when they have to give up smoking or coffee, I'd imagine. I have breakfast with the team in the canteen and when it's time to start work, they go one way to the training pitches and I go the other to the physio's room and the gym. They're playing small-sided games out on the training pitches and I'm getting checked out. It's boring.



"I'm a fidgety patient. I get snappy. I go quiet. I don't get fed up with the treatment or the physios and club doctors, I just want to get out there and play in the practice games like everyone else. The worst thing is that the rehab process messes around with my head. I feel left out at the club. I miss the banter and the crack in the dressing-room. As I'm not fit enough to play, I don't even get to spend the night in the team hotel with the rest of the lads before the next game. I have to stay at home, then drive into the training ground the following morning for some more boring recovery work.



"Still, it could be worse. Owen Hargreaves had operations on both knees and didn't play for 18 months. He was a regular for England and United before his injuries. He missed out on so much, I don't know how he got through it. A couple of days is bad enough for me. I reckon my head would go if I couldn't play football for a year-and-a-half. Players become a spare part when they're seriously injured. They become forgotten men around the club."