Rooney payback for United

THERE was no apology from Wayne Rooney last night, only a match-winning penalty in the 87th minute as the Manchester United sharpshooter fired his side into the knockout phase of the Champions League.

However, manager Alex Ferguson hailed Rooney’s courage.

“It took a lot of courage to take the penalty kick,” Ferguson said.

“It was not an easy night, he missed a couple of chances but that’s what you expect with the rustiness in his game. We are pleased for him.”

He added: “Every time he scores a goal he wants to celebrate with the fans and players.”

On Rooney’s fitness, the Scot added: “He’s got a bit to go.”

On his first start since signing a lucrative new contract and annoying the Red Devils fans with his negotiating tactics, Rooney gave another television interview in which he did not say sorry.

Whether United are bothered is debatable. After all, Rooney is paid to score goals and on his first start following a long-standing ankle injury, he did just that, sending Allan McGregor the wrong way after Fabio had been fouled to give the visitors their spot-kick near the end.

For Rangers, there was no way back and Valencia’s hammering of Bursaspor in Spain condemned them to the Europa League next year.

Afterwards Rooney insisted he felt no nerves as he strode up to take the penalty.

“There were not many nerves really,” said Rooney.

“I knew what I was doing and where I was going. I can only do that. If the keeper guesses the right way and saves it, so be it. Thankfully it went in.

“Obviously it is a bit of a relief for me to score. Hopefully I can build on this now.”

Ferguson had flagged this up as Rooney’s first start since the beginning of October last week.

The interim period has seen the 25-year-old enjoy a holiday with his wife in Dubai and get put through a week’s conditioning work in Oregon in his battle to recover from his well-publicised ankle injury.

It is that five-year contract that filled most column inches though, the conduct of his camp during the period when he declared an intention to leave that has brought criticism from Ferguson and a belief that an apology would eventually come.

That has not transpired, just a commitment to prove to United’s legion of supporters that he really is sewn into the Old Trafford fabric.

Rangers routinely had seven men within an imaginary five-yard line to the most advanced United forward, which offered their visitors hardly any room.

As Valencia had virtually wrapped up victory by the break against Bursaspor, Rangers knew they needed to win to survive, which might have led to a more enterprising approach.

United were the ones with the extra class though and Rooney was not that far away from putting them ahead with a 25-yard free-kick.

Dimitar Berbatov then wasted a decent opportunity, failing to connect properly with a volley that normally would have expected to put McGregor in trouble.

The growing pressure around the home box led to a more enterprising approach from Rangers and Steven Naismith almost profited from some suicidal defending by Jonny Evans, who needed van der Saar to come to his rescue with a brave block.

Impressive in the first meeting, McGregor was an obdurate presence once more and he denied Berbatov’s angled drive with a neat save to his right.

Rooney’s luckless night continued when he blazed a long-range effort over, then he headed a Giggs’ cross wide just after Berbatov had a goalbound shot blocked.

It appeared it was not to be Rooney’s night when another opportunity sailed wide but five minutes from the end, Naismith made a rash challenge on Fabio and offered the striker a chance to start repaying United supporters in the only currency they really care about.

RANGERS: McGregor, Davis, Whittaker, Broadfoot, Weir, Foster, Naismith, McCulloch, Hutton (Beattie 88), Weiss (Fleck 79), Miller.

MAN UNITED: Van der Sar, O’Shea, Evans, Smalling, Fabio Da Silva, Nani (Obertan 77), Carrick, Scholes (Anderson 67), Giggs, Berbatov (Hernandez 76), Rooney.

Referee: Massimo Busacca (Switzerland).