Rooney and Gill allay fans' fears

31 January 2010 13:30
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney insists there is no reason for him to want to move away from Old Trafford. Financial figures released earlier this month revealed United would have made a loss in 2009 had it not been for the £80million sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid. Rooney has reportedly attracted interest from both Madrid and Barcelona, but has reiterated to both Spanish giants that he has no plans to leave the Barclays Premier League champions. Quoted in several Sunday newspapers, the 24-year-old said: This is my club. I'm very happy here. My family live 30 minutes away. I'm perfectly happy and there is no reason to play my football anywhere else. Manchester United are the biggest club in the world. Rooney has two a half years remaining on his Reds deal, with reports suggesting talks will get under way over a new four-year contract soon. The England frontman has netted 21 goals in all competitions this season, but claims even he is sometimes happy to avoid boss Sir Alex Ferguson. There are days when I don't want to see the manager, he said. He can be fierce at times. Even after we have won 2-0 or 3-0, and the lads are laughing and joking and thinking they've played well, he sometimes comes in and lets loose. I'm left thinking: 'What's wrong?' Our dressing room is not a nice place to be when we lose. He's a perfectionist. Rooney admits he has not enjoyed the best relationship with Everton boss David Moyes since making the switch to United from his boyhood club in 2004. Things haven't been good between us, he said. I've said a few bad things in the past about him but, when I look back, I see what he did for me. He helped make me the player I am today. Rooney memories Of his early days at Goodison Park, he reflected: I was always an Everton fan and Duncan Ferguson was a big hero of mine, he said. As a young lad, I even wrote to him when he was in jail. It came as a surprise when, one day, I got a letter back from him. Then, a few years later, I was playing alongside him. Duncan and Alan Stubbs were a big help to me when I was a young player at Everton. The club is still a big part of my life and my family's life, but I'm a Manchester United player and I give my all for them.[LNB] United chief executive David Gill, meanwhile, has stressed Rooney is not for sale at any price. Gill told BBC Radio Five Live: I'm very, very confident in saying that unless Alex agreed to it, we would not accept an offer for a player that we wanted to keep - regardless of the value. From my own personal perspective, and Alex's, we have no doubt in saying that they (United's owners, the Glazer family) would support whatever we require from a team perspective. Far from looking to offload, Gill played down United's financial problems and insisted the £80m funds from Ronaldo's sale were available for Ferguson to spend in the transfer market should he so desire. Without doubt, said Gill. We used £15million to buy Antonio Valencia and we have well over £100m in the bank sitting there. People look from the outside and say Alex has been under pressure. I think everyone who has dealt with Alex or seen him in the press knows he will not compromise what he wants to do for this club. If I went to (joint board chairman) Joel Glazer and said 'Alex wants a particular player, can we have the money?' The answer would be an unequivocal yes. They have demonstrated it (with France striker Karim Benzema last summer). We didn't get Benzema but we did offer 35m euros. Gill also alleviated fears that the Glazer family would sell Old Trafford or the club's Carrington training ground, or that they were not in it for the long haul. This is a long-term thing, he said. They bought (American football team) the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1995 and 15 years later, they still own that - they are in it for the long term. All the actions they've taken, whether it be investing in the infrastructure, whether it be putting more money into looking at Carrington, into players... it strikes me it's all long-term views. On the possibility of Carrington being sold and leased back to the club, he added: I am 100% convinced that will never happen under Glazer family ownership. The sale and leaseback opportunity within the bond document is done for financial and tax planning. Manchester United Limited continue to have complete control of Carrington. What do you think? Have your say. [LNB]

Source: Manchester_EveningNews