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Wayne Rooney wanted to leave Manchester United but is now “happier”
Wayne Rooney has come out for the first time with his reasons for wanting to leave Manchester United, blaming Sir Alex Ferguson’s decision to play him in the midfield.
Although the England forward did not once mention the name of his former manager during a press conference ahead of England’s World Cup qualifiers, Rooney was all but pointing his finger at the seventy-one-year-old. The 27-year-old claimed his reasoning for requesting to leave the English champions was because of his limited time up front and Ferguson’s placing him in the middle.
“Everyone at the club knew where I wanted to play and I think that’s why I was disappointed,” Rooney said. “I got told to play in midfield and I didn’t want to. I just think there had to come a point when, for my own career, I had to be a bit selfish really.
“I know myself that last year wasn’t my best season but there were times when I was playing in different positions. I didn’t feel I got a consistent run of games up front. Sometimes when you’re not playing in one position all the time it’s difficult to adapt.”
Rooney’s first ventures into the minds of potential suitor’s came when he began to be put in the midfield by Ferguson last spring, while Robin van Persie played as the lone forward. The situation only escalated when Rooney spoke to Ferguson of his displeasure, in a conversation which Ferguson described as a “verbal transfer request” on live television. But Rooney described himself as “settled” under David Moyes despite rumors of a possible move away from Old Trafford for the Red Devil.
“To be honest, I’ve been settled all summer. I really have been happy all summer. From the outside looking in, it might not have seemed like it. But I have been settled. My wife had a new child and I’m just delighted to be back playing and injury-free. I’ve got my head down and worked hard. I’ve been focused and I’ve been wanting to prove to people that I am a top player. That’s what I’ve really tried to do.”
“I wanted to come back fit, sharp and scoring goals. I’ve done that. I’ve scored a few goals and I’m playing every week, so I’m enjoying it.
“It’s a bit different in terms of David Moyes and his staff coming in. The training is different, there’s a different style, a different way of thinking about how he wants us to play. Honestly, the training has been so hard. We’ve done a lot more running. Long running, quicker running, sharper running.
“I feel that’s really benefited me. I feel as fit as I ever have done. I had a couple of injuries pre-season but I feel great and in good shape. It’s a mixture of things, but I am happy and I am enjoying my football.”
The English international was subject to two transfer bids from Chelsea over the summer £23 million on 16 July and £25m on 4 August, yet Rooney claimed that along with losing his desire to leave United would never have let him move to Stamford Bridge.
“I’m sure the club made that clear,” Rooney said. “Obviously there’s been a lot of stuff happening and everyone has been waiting for me to say something, but I’ve spoken to the people who matter at the club and we’ve known ourselves what was going on.
“I didn’t want to come out saying anything. I just wanted to concentrate on my football. That’s what I’ve done and that’s what I’ll continue to do. I’m not going to go around saying: ‘I wanted to stay’ or ‘I wanted to leave’. I’ll concentrate on my football and see what happens after that.”