MANCHESTER, England: After categorically stating that Wayne Rooney is not for sale, new Manchester United manager David Moyes was less forthcoming yesterday about what the striker plans to do ahead of the upcoming Premier League season.
Rooney’s future has been mired in uncertainty since he told Alex Ferguson that he wanted a transfer before the manager’s surprise retirement in May.
The 27-year-old Rooney had grown frustrated at being dropped and substituted in key matches as Robin van Persie emerged as United’s leading striker on the charge to a record-extending 20th English title.
But with two years remaining on Rooney’s contract, United doesn’t appear willing to allow the Moyes era to begin with a leading player joining a rival club.
“Wayne is not for sale,” Moyes said at his first news conference since replacing Ferguson. “He’s a Manchester United player and he will remain a Manchester United player.”
When asked if Rooney had told him categorically that he no longer wanted to leave, Moyes responded evasively: “I can tell you categorically Wayne Rooney is training fantastically well in the last two days, that’s all I can categorically tell you.”
Moyes was Everton manager when Rooney was reluctantly sold to Ferguson’s United in 2004.
The pair appear to be back on good terms despite Moyes launching successful legal action against Rooney about allegations in the player’s autobiography about his Everton departure.
“I have known Wayne since he was 16 and some of you were probably at my early press conferences at Everton — it’s a little bit of deja vu actually, it’s a similar sort of feeling,” Moyes said from Old Trafford. “But I’ve had several meetings with Wayne.
United won’t sell Rooney; striker silent on future
