21 February 2024 , 12:23
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Wayne Rooney has admitted he was wrong to hand in a transfer request at Manchester United after questioning the club's ambition.
United legend Rooney put his Old Trafford future on the line back in 2010 by asking to leave after becoming disillusioned with the direction the club was taking. But after an impassioned address from Sir Alex Ferguson and a stand-off lasting 10 days, Rooney eventually signed a new deal and went on to become United's record scorer with 253 goals.
But the former United and England skipper, now 38, reflected on that seismic episode in his career and concluded he was wrong to put his future at the club in jeopardy with the stance he took.
Rooney, who was being courted by Europe's top clubs at the time, said: “It wasn’t Manchester City, it was more I wanted answers. There were a few teams asking – there was Real Madrid, Barcelona were asking, City were asking, Chelsea.
“I genuinely wanted to stay, but there was a clash between me and the manager and, once you disagree with him, he doesn’t take it lightly. My relationship with the manager after that moment was never the same.
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“Being a manager now myself, and looking back, it was probably the wrong thing to do. At the time, I felt like it was the right thing to do to really get assurances for my own career. The club offered me a new five-year deal but we'd just sold Carlos Tevez and just sold Cristiano Ronaldo.
“I said to the manager ‘No disrespect to Phil Jones or Chris Smalling – they're obviously not going to replace Ronaldo and Tevez' and I just wanted assurances it wasn’t going to be another transition. He told me to get out of his office, so then I got more sense out of David Gill of what the plan was.
Wayne Rooney handed in a transfer request after falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson having questioned the club's ambition (Action Images)“Once David had explained what the club were doing I said, ‘Fine, that’s all the manager had to say. That’s all the club had to tell me’ and then I signed the new deal.”
Ferguson was succeeded by David Moyes in 2013, with Rooney claiming his former Everton boss was doomed to fail from the start – because the players did not believe in him.
“The players never gave Moyes a chance,” said Rooney. “I think it was always going to be tough for him. I think there was a lack of respect from senior players towards him and they weren’t having him.”
Rooney said David Moyes was doomed to fail at Man Utd because senior players there did not respect him (PA)After Moyes came Louis van Gaal, who was sacked despite winning the FA Cup, the first trophy of the post-Ferguson era. “I was sad when Van Gaal left,” said Rooney. “During the 2016 FA Cup final, his wife found out that Louis was getting the sack, regardless of the result.”
Van Gaal was replaced by Mourinho, under whom Rooney claimed he endured his most difficult spell. “Playing under Jose was probably my toughest year at United because I was captain, but I wasn’t playing,” said Rooney.
“That was difficult for me, going into training every day as captain and having to put on a brave face, even though I wasn’t playing and wasn’t happy. Jose was a good person, and obviously you have your frustrations when you’re not playing, but he was a good guy.”
Wayne Rooney was speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet
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