Sir Alex Ferguson’s complete statement about Wayne Rooney's intent to leave Manchester United (Part 2)
Sir Alex Ferguson, while further clarifying his position regarding his Rooney's injury announcement, stated, "He (Wayne Rooney) got an ankle injury in the Rangers game. He was seen clearly hobbling at half-time. He confirmed it himself in an interview with
Sky."
"My idea, based on the fact that he wasn't playing that well, was to leave him out of the Sunderland game, make sure his ankle is properly prepared for the next game, and give him a 10 day recovery so he could play for England."
"My hope was that by playing for England at Wembley, he could recapture his form and we could kick on."
But, it was after that goalless draw at Wembley that Rooney decided to enter the fray.
"His entry into the mixed zone at Wembley has created that next stage that we have had to deal with, i.e. that he wasn't injured," added Ferguson.
"Why he came out and said that you can only guess yourself. It was disappointing."
"When you know a player's form is a little down... he has an injury. You do it to protect him. You don't want to humiliate him because you respect him."
"In a lot of cases over the years, we have done that. When it came to the Sunderland game, I felt by leaving him out to give him a complete rest to get fit, I was hoping that would get his form back. I was disappointed because we know he was carrying an
injury."
"We sent him for a scan, which showed a minor defect with an ankle injury, nothing serious, but he needed treatment, which he has had. There is no argument with that."
Despite the bleak backdrop, Ferguson still refuses to concede defeat in his attempts to keep the player as he said, "We have to keep the door open for him, simply because he is such a good player."
"We have done nothing but helped him since he came to the club. That is another mystery. I don't know how many times we have helped him in terms of his private life and other matters."
"He is not the only one who gets that privilege because Manchester United is that type of club. We do that for all players, it doesn't matter who it is. It is part of your job here. You look after your players. That creates a tremendous loyalty. It has always
been a good foundation of our club."
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