Full of himself: Wayne Rooney struts in a
Manchester United shirt - will he wear it again?
Wayne Rooney
turned his back on Manchester
United for good on Wednesday night
after telling Sir Alex Ferguson his team is no longer good enough
to satisfy his personal ambitions.
As the public relations war
over Rooney's decision to quit Old Trafford took another dramatic
turn, the 24-year-old revealed that he is leaving because he feels
United are not prepared to invest serious money in new
players.
Rooney's remarks will cut to
the heart of the debate over how the club is being run under the
Glazer family's debt-ridden ownership.
But they will also cause
ructions in the United dressing-room and it would appear unlikely
he will ever pull on a red shirt again.
Last night Ferguson hit back, saying after his team's 1-0
Champions League win over Bursaspor at Old Trafford that Rooney
will not find a better club.
Ferguson also revealed that the Glazers had been
consulted about the issue before kick-off and that the club would
decide on a definite plan of action after a 10am meeting between himself and chief executive
David Gill today.
The United manager would not
comment on suggestions that Rooney may never play for him again but
it seems inconceivable that he will be at the club beyond the
January transfer window.
In his statement - issued two
hours before kick-off last night - Rooney said: 'I met with David
Gill last week and he did not give me any of the assurances I was
seeking about the future squad. 'I then told him that I would
not be signing a new contract.
'I was interested to hear what
Sir Alex had to say yesterday and surprised by some of it. 'It is
absolutely true, as he said, that my agent and I have had a number
of meetings with the club about a new contract.
'During those meetings in
August I asked for assurances about the continued ability of the
club to attract the top players in the world.
Heading in different directions: The relationship
between Wayne Rooney and Sir Alex Ferguson has plumbed surprising
depths this week
'I have never had
anything but complete respect for MUFC. 'How could I not have done
given its fantastic history and especially the last six years in
which I have been lucky to play a part?
'For me its all about winning
trophies - as the club has always done under Sir Alex. Because of
that I think the questions I was asking were justified.
'Despite recent difficulties,
I know I will always owe Sir Alex Ferguson a huge debt. He is a
great manager and mentor who has helped and supported me from the
day he signed me from Everton when I was only 18.
'For Manchester United's sake
I wish he could go on forever because he's a one-off and a
genius.'
As Sportsmail revealed this
week, Rooney's decision to turn his back on the club with which he
has won eight major trophies is being pure motivated by cash, both
in terms of the amount he was offered to sign a new contract and
the amount being spent on new players.
Last night, however,
Ferguson came out fighting as he warned Rooney he
would not find fulfilment at another club and assured United's
supporters that the future is in the right hands.
'Some players think it is
better somewhere else,' said Ferguson. 'It does not really work. '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. It rarely works out that way. It's
probably the same cow as you have, or it's not as good.
'We don't want this to carry
on, don't want it to become a saga. I haven't read the whole
statement. We will consider it all tomorrow because David Gill and
I have a meeting. David spoke to the owners tonight, which is
important. What is really important is for us to put this to bed.
'I'm a manager who wants to win a game against Stoke City on Sunday.'
Making their feelings known: Wayne Rooney has
burned bridges with many of the Manchester United faithful
Rooney's suggestion
that United have not invested in enough quality players in recent
times has clearly irritated his manager.
Ferguson added: 'We will invest in signature players
when the time is ready. This summer was not right for me. There was
no value. There was one player we identified but he didn't want to
come to England.
'If I told you how many agents
call me or email my secretary every week to say their players want
to play for us - and not just run of the mill players, I am talking
about players at almost every club in the world - it would amaze
you.
'We will be OK, I am confident
in that. We have the right staff, the right manager, the right
chief executive. There is nothing wrong with Manchester United. Not
a thing wrong with it.
'One player once said to me
that Ronaldo and Rooney weren't good enough and he wasn't prepared
to wait for them - can you believe that? That's the problem. People
don't identify potential, they're very poor at it. I have
identified it all my life. I know potential, I know where it can be
developed, I know how to develop it, I have faith in it.
'Young people surprise you
when they are given the opportunity and that is what this club is
about.'
United fans will not have been
impressed by the timing of Rooney's statement last night, given
that it was released as kick-off was approaching.
Rooney is injured at the
moment, after an accidental clash with Paul Scholes in training on
Tuesday, and was not visible inside the stadium.
Supporters will also be
bemused by the rather cold way that Rooney referred to his club as
'MUFC' in his statement.
