London: Wayne Rooney confirmed on Thursday he’d become frustrated at former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson’s decision to play him away from his favoured central striker position. Ferguson retired at the end of last season after some 27 years in charge at Old Trafford, an era laden with trophies, and bowed out with United crowned champions of England once again.
But it was clear his once close relationship with Rooney had soured, the England forward often left out of a starting line-up where Robin van Persie was now the star striker and lead goalscorer. But new United manager David Moyes, who oversaw the start of Rooney’s career at Everton, made keeping the forward at Old Trafford a key task amid suggestions he would have asked for a transfer had Ferguson remained in charge.
“There came a point where I had to be a bit selfish for my own career,” Rooney said Thursday ahead of England’s key 2014 World Cup qualifier against Montenegro at Wembley on Friday. “Everyone at the club knew where I wanted to play. That wasn’t happening.
“I’ve had no problem playing out of position in the past, but I’m a forward and I felt I deserved the right to play in my position. “David Moyes has come in, he’s playing me up front, and I’m enjoying it,” the 27-year-old added.
Ferguson, ahead of the publication of his autobiography, has given conciliatory interviews regarding Rooney and the player himself, who was a transfer target for Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, said he’d no plans to leave United — for the time being.
“I know from the outside looking in it might not have seemed like that, but I have been settled all summer,” Rooney said. “I spoke with the people who matter at the club and we knew what we were doing. The club made that clear. “My wife had a new child and I’ve been really happy. I’m not going to go on saying I wanted to stay or I wanted to leave.
“I just want to concentrate on my football. We’ll see what happens after that.” Ferguson appeared to adopt the view that if Rooney missed one game he needed two to get fit. Moyes, however, is known for an intense training regime and it seems this is now working to Rooney’s advantage. “The training has been so hard,” said Rooney. “We’ve done a lot of different types of training, a lot of running; long running, quicker running, sharper running.
“That’s been of benefit to me. I feel as fit as I have done at any point.”
