Rooney’s not so fond farewell

ANY faint, lingering doubts that Wayne Rooney’s future lies away from Old Trafford have been eliminated by a statement in which the player confirms that he wants to leave Manchester United – and purports to give his reasons why.

And rubbing salt into the wounds of Alex Ferguson, Rooney has simultaneously managed to pay tribute to the manager and cast doubt on the club’s ability to continue to compete at the highest level.

While Ferguson said on Tuesday that he was “dumbfounded” by Rooney’s desire to leave and described his reasons as “inexplicable”, the player’s statement yesterday sought to portray himself as someone who only wanted the best for a club which, in his view, was no longer in a position to deliver the best.