David Moyes says Wayne Rooney not for sale by Manchester United

By Phil McNultyChief football writer at Old Trafford

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments662

Ferguson gave me Man Utd job - Moyes

Manchester United's new manager David Moyes has started his reign by insisting unsettled striker Wayne Rooney will not be sold.

On Friday, Moyes made his first public appearance since succeeding the retired Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford - and Rooney's future was at the top of the agenda.

"Wayne Rooney is not for sale. He's a Manchester United player and will remain a Manchester United player. Wayne won't be sold by Manchester United," the former Everton boss said.

Moyes, however, refused to say whether Rooney had expressed a desire to stay.

Ferguson said the 27-year-old striker had asked to leave at the end of last season - although Rooney is believed to contest Ferguson's suggestion he wanted to quit United.

Moyes explained he had spoken to Rooney, who has been linked with Arsenal and Chelsea, "several times" since being appointed.

"Whatever happened before has gone now," insisted the new United boss.

"We are working together now. I have seen a glint in his eye, he looks happy and looks as if he is going to knuckle down."

Moyes said Rooney's meeting with Ferguson "was a private meeting between two people".

"I was not privy to it," added Moyes. "I don't know what those two gentlemen said. That conversation was private and as far as I am concerned I'm looking forward to working with Wayne."

And Moyes declared all his efforts were now going into improving Rooney's condition and form for club and country, with the player hoping to figure for England at the World Cup in Brazil next summer.

The Scot added: "We are working and trying everything to get Wayne to the level where everybody can benefit. I can tell you categorically Wayne is training fantastically well."

United captain Nemanja Vidic, sitting alongside Moyes at his introductory news conference, added: "Wayne has trained really well and is in the best shape for the last five years."

Moyes refused to be drawn on transfer moves for United old boy Cristiano Ronaldo and Everton's Leighton Baines after having a £12m bid rejected for the England left-back.

Moyes said: "I will never speak about players at other clubs. I think it's wrong. But this club is always interested in the best players."

Comments

Join the conversation

These comments are now closed.

662 comments

  • Rooney logic:

    Oct 2010:
    The squad is too weak, I'm the only good player at this club so I wanna leave.

    Sir Alex doubles his wages, signs Young, De Gea, Kagawa, RVP and more.

    May 2013:
    I'm no longer the star player at this club, all the new signings are playing better and are ahead of me in the pecking order so I wanna leave.

    There's just no pleasing him is there?

  • This is all so new and exciting.

  • Rooney will still be scoffing the pies regardless of where hes playing, 250k a week and the bloke can even get himself in proper shape.

    Give me 250k a year and i would do anything my employers wanted to get me fit.

  • This saga is drawing to an inevitable end. Rooney throws his toys out of the pram; nothing happens for months and it becomes obvious that nobody is willing to pay £25-30m and stupid wages to Rooney because he's not as good as the media over here think; Rooney starts slowly back-tracking and suggesting he never wanted to leave in the first place.

  • More Man Utd and Rooney from Phil McNulty.
    There are 19 other teams in the Premier League, Phil. Please do try to stop making the BBC football website a poor relation of a school boy's Man Utd fanzine.

    Now Rooney is staying with Utd I expect he will be 'world class' again after disgusted Utd fans from Surrey have been slagging him off for the last few months.....

  • I thnk the media sounded a tad upset that Rooney isn't for sale, and no matter how hard they kept asking they couldnt persuade him otherwise. Bringing up stuff they didnt need to, how shameful are the media.



    I am suprisd they didnt say please say he is for sale so we have something to write about.

  • 161 Redshirt7

    This is the first time I have ever seen you post an article on a Manchester United article, normally just on LFC articles.

    And even now, while on your own fans forums you are talking about "your rivals"

    So funny !

    Don't you see the irony ??

  • How many More MAN U stories are the BBC going to write ???????

    What about the other clubs in the PL?

    Everyone pays their licence fees, not just Manchester United fans.

  • Ref 50.
    'Rooney logic:
    May 2013:
    I'm no longer the star player .............. so I wanna leave'

    Rooney was dropped for the biggest game of the season by a vindictive Ferguson as was Beckham 10 years earlier for the same reason with the same result - a loss.

    For all of Ferguson's achievements Utd under achieved in Europe

    Good luck Mr. Moyes, I for one believe in you.

  • # 638. _mitch_

    The point is, whatever policy the owners may have followed, this didn't stop United winning titles and other significant trophies.

  • @TriggRNC

    To be fair, most LFC fans hated the amount of articles on Suarez, wanting to defend their clubs rep against the indefensible actions of their best player. I still can't get over the madness in Daveindevons fingers that day

  • 578 have you never wondered why so many people don't like the fans of your team? It's not the club, just some of the muppets that call themselves fans. They're an embarassment to most Manc lads I know.. Just read the comments of the online Man U fans and you'll see the reason why... Trigg. King Red, Guernsey Red, ESG etc etc all just dull wums suffering from paranoid delusions of grandure.

  • #375 I hope you appreciate the irony in your post.


    Please keep hold of him Man Utd. He'd be a total waste of money for Arsenal. We don't want him.

  • Players in similar roles to rooney
    Bergkamp (326 games) 87 goals, 49 assists
    Cantona (156 games) , 70 goals, 3 assists
    Zola (241 games), 59 goals, 25 assists
    Matt le tisser(286 games), 102 goals, 5 assists
    Rooney (346 games) , 156 goals, 80 assists

    Recent: (last 3 seasons)
    Mata: (60) , 18 goals, 26 assists
    Silva: (92) , 14 goals, 32 assists
    Rooney (79), 50 goals, 28 assists

    Mata:

  • I sincerely do hope Chelsea don't buy him. This guy is too much of a prima donna even for us, and would absolutely, totally not fit in the squad.

    Not saying he's terrible, just that I don't think he'd be of any benefit to us.

    If aiming for controversy, could we burn money on Suárez? He's better media value and on top of that, banned from playing for a decent part of the season.

  • Who cares about Rooney - Is his wig for sale?

    I heard they grew it on his back-side.

  • Rooney is not for sale because nobody wants him.

  • Mr Rooney is looking for easy play time, it does not happen in EPL. Work hard and earn that shirt and the money that comes with it.

  • Which will end soon? The Rooney - Utd episode or Eastenders?

    Sick and tired of this, just let him go.

  • As a united fan, I do not want him at the club any more. From being my favourite player for many years, he's shown his true colours by all this nonsense and there is no way I'd be able to support rooney any more if he stays and im sure many feel the same. If not now, eventually he'll leave so stop wasting our time and go!

Top Stories