Wayne Rooney feeling effects of private life claims
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that the club’s star striker Wayne Rooney has been affected by allegations regarding his private life.
Earlier this month, the married England international was the subject of claims by Sunday tabloids to have solicited the services of a prostitute.
Those revelations appeared to have affected his mentality as the usually prolific marksman has netted just once in four matches so far for United. The striker has been suffering from a lack of form for several months now, following a season during which
he scored 34 goals. He also struggled to make any impact at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Meanwhile, the weekend after the allegations surfaced, Rooney was left out of an English Premier League match against his former club Everton by Ferguson due to fears that the player would lash out at the inevitable verbal taunts from the Goodison Park supporters.
Ferguson told Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport on Thursday that Rooney was not suffering a lack of confidence, but that he was beginning to realise the effect of the revelations on his life as a whole.
'Wayne can't move without a camera pointed at him'
The Red Devils boss said that: “He is realising what it means to be at the centre of media attention for non-football-related questions. I don't think the boy can turn a corner at the moment without a camera on him. He can't move without the paparazzi being
on him and, for a young person, that is not what you want.”
Ferguson added that the constant attention from reporters and photographers was beginning to cause the 24-year-old to be fatigued. He said that: You want to play and enjoy your football without that attention on you, because that can be quite exhausting.
He would like to keep playing with freedom, but the siege of the tabloids can wear out anyone."
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