The striker wanted to leave Manchester United this
summer and, although he claims he is now
"settled", he once again dodged contract
questions
Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney has revealed
his frustration at being asked to play out of position by
Sir Alex Ferguson last season, and once again refused to
commit his future to the club.
Rooney was desperate to leave Old Trafford this
summer only to be thwarted by the club's refusal to sell
him to a Premier League rival, with Arsenal and Chelsea
the two clubs to show firm interest.
The England striker has started the season in fine form,
scoring five goals in eight games, but although he says
he has felt "happy" and "settled" for months he also
told of his irritation at not being played up front
alongside Robin van Persie.
"Everyone at the club knew where I wanted to play and
I think that's why I was disappointed," he told
reporters. "I got told to play in midfield and I didn't
want to. I just think there had to come a point when,
for my own career, I had to be a bit selfish really.
"I actually felt when I played in midfield I did okay, but
I didn't want to play there. I've had no problem in the
past playing out of position, but I felt I deserved the
right to play in my position and that wasn't happening.
"I think, naturally, I was a bit disappointed and maybe
that affected some of the games I played. I know myself
that last year wasn't my best season but there were
times when I was playing in different positions.
"I didn't feel I got a consistent run of games up front.
Sometimes when you're not playing in one position all
the time it's difficult to adapt."
Yet despite talking publicly about some of the reasons
for his unhappiness at United over the last few months,
the 27-year-old also claimed that he never, in fact, had
any problems during the transfer window.
"To be honest, I've been settled all summer," he added.
"I really have been happy all summer. From the outside
looking in, it might not have seemed like it, but I have
been settled.
"My wife had a new child and I'm just delighted to be
back playing and injury-free. I've got my head down
and worked hard. I've been focused and I've been
wanting to prove to people that I am a top player.
That's what I've really tried to do."
Manchester United rejected two bids for Rooney from
Chelsea during pre-season, before Jose Mourinho urged
the striker to make his intentions known during the final
week of the transfer window.
Rooney decided to remain silent, publicly at least, as he
quickly realised that the Red Devils were not interested
in a sale: "I'm sure the club made that clear," he said.
"Obviously there's been a lot of stuff happening and
everyone has been waiting for me to say something, but
I've spoken to the people who matter at the club and
we've known ourselves what was going on.
"I didn't want to come out saying anything. I just
wanted to concentrate on my football. That's what I've
done and that's what I'll continue to do. I'm not going
to go around saying: 'I wanted to stay' or 'I wanted to
leave'. I'll concentrate on my football and see what
happens after that."
It is not the first time Rooney, whose contract expires
at the end of next season, has used that line to divert
awkward questions about his current situation. When
asked by ITV if he would be signing a new contract at
Old Trafford following a Champions League match in
September, the striker flatly stated that he is
concentrating on his football. He employed a similar
tactic again in Wednesday's press conference.
"You can see I'm playing and I'm happy in my football.
I'll have more discussions with the club and we'll see
what happens from there."
Reports at the beginning of the season suggested that
Van Persie was unhappy with the playing tactics and
high-intensity training implemened by Ferguson's
replacement, David Moyes, but Rooney, for one, says he
is enjoying life under his former Everton mentor,
including the extra workload.
"It's a bit different in terms of David Moyes and his
staff coming in," he continued. "The training is
different, there's a different style, a different way of
thinking about how he wants us to play.
"Honestly, the training has been so hard. We've done a
lot more running. Long running, quicker running,
sharper running.
"I feel that's really benefited me. I feel as fit as I ever
have done. I had a couple of injuries pre-season but I
feel great and in good shape. It's a mixture of things,
but I am happy and I am enjoying my football."
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