SIR ALEX FERGUSON
REVEALS THAT WAYNE
ROONEY HAS TOLD HIM HE
IS 'ADAMANT' ABOUT
MANCHESTER UNITED EXIT
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19 Oct 2010 15:16:00
Scot rubbishes claims about
ankle injury
Sir Alex Ferguson has
revealed Manchester United
striker Wayne Rooney has
told him he is "adamant" he
won't sign a new contract
and wants to leave.
Rooney, 24, has dominated
the front and back pages this
week after rumours emerged
he wasn't prepared to extend
his deal that has just 18
months to run. With Real
Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea
and bitter rivals Manchester
City all link with a big money
swoop for his signature,
United were forced to deny
reports their star player
would be sold in the January
transfer window.
MORE...
The statement: Ferguson on
Rooney 'shock' in full
The exclusive: Rooney looking
for exit door since May
The history: The not-so-fab
five who fell out with Fergie
The analysis: United lack a
leader with or without
Rooney
Speaking to reporters in the
build up to Wednesday
night's Champions League
clash with Bursaspor, a game
Rooney will miss after an
ankle injury sustained in
training, Ferguson issued a
lengthy statement at the end
to confirm the news last
season's 34-goal centre
forward wanted away.
"[Chief executive] David Gill
had a preliminary talk with
his agent at the end of last
season and it was to be
continued after the World
Cup," Ferguson revealed.
"He told me he was on his
way over from Carrington
and said 'I have some bad
news for you.'
"His agent has intimated that
he wouldn't be signing a
contract and wanted away. It
was a shock.
"I couldn't believe it as in
earlier discussions, as early as
March, he intimated he
wanted to stay and sign a
long contract, he was happy
at the best club in the world
and I was very terribly
disappointed as we couldn't
quite understand it.
"I had a meeting with him
and he intimated to me in his
own way that he wanted to
leave.
"By then, we had a discussion
about the whole situation
and I said: 'The one thing I
want from you Wayne is to
honour and respect the
club's position and it's
traditions and behave like a
proper professional and we'll
try and see it through.'
"Although I did say, and
David Gill has intimated,
there is an offer there if he is
prepared to accept it. It's an
offer we've nevergone into any financial
discussion, i.e., money wise.
"But, I know David was
prepared to offer him a
contract that would be
difficult to better elsewhere.
The Scot added: "I can't
answer any question about
why is he doing it. You can
speculate and have opinions
and it won't matter a dickey
bird simply because the
player is adamant he wants
to leave."
Ferguson also moved to
contradict claims Rooney
made that he had not been
carrying an ankle injury at
any stage this season.
He stated: "First of all I must
tell you I've never had an
argument with Wayne at any
time. He got an ankle injury
in the Rangers game, he was
seen clearly hobbling about
before half-time.
"He actually confirmed it
himself in an interview with
Sky. I spoke to him before the
Sunderland game and my
planning was, based on fact
he wasn't playing that well,
was to leave him out of the
Sunderland game, make sure
his ankle is properly
prepared for the next game
and give him a 10-day
recovery so he could play for
England.
"My hope was that with
playing for England at
Wembley he could recapture
his form and we could kick
on.
"His entry into the mixed
zone at Wembley has created
that next stage we have had
to deal with, i.e. he said he
wasn't injured.
"That was disappointing as
we know fine well he was
carrying an injury. We sent
him for a scan and that
showed a minor defect in
terms of the ankle injury,
nothing serious, but needed
treatment and he has had
treatment."
Ferguson also went on to
reveal that Rooney was
carried off on a stretcher
after he picked up a fresh
ankle knock in training on
Tuesday, and would miss the
match with the Turkish
champions.
