Moyes won't blame studs for accident

Manchester United manager David Moyes conceded Wayne Rooney’s head injury might have been worse if Phil Jones had been wearing boots with metal studs.

Players’ union chief Gordon Taylor has spoken out against the ’hybrid’ boot which many players use these days.

Taylor believes the boot was responsible for both the nasty head wound Rooney suffered in training last month that has resulted in him wearing a padded helmet for United’s past four games, and the gash to his leg sustained in an accidental collision with Fulham’s Hugo Rodallega at Old Trafford last season.

He wants more safety checks to be made on the boots to try and prevent injury.

Moyes admits he is no fan of the bladed boot, which Sir Alex Ferguson was particularly unhappy with.

However, having been on the United training pitch when Rooney got hurt, the Scot is not sure the boots themselves could be blamed for the incident.

“Boots aren’t always the cause of it,” he said.

“I don’t think anybody has ever been that keen on the blades.

“The players have a sole with aluminium studs and half-moulded studs as well.

“But in Wayne’s case, I was there. It was a complete accident.

“Maybe if they were complete metal studs it might have been even worse, who knows.”