FERGIE REVEALS OFFERS FROM ABROAD

United boss confirms approaches in past

By Neil Ashton, 07/11/2009

WITH stands steeped in history and a stadium that has all the trappings of success, Manchester United is made for superstars.

Old Trafford, the Theatre of Dreams. No one leaves until their time is up.

Even Sir Alex Ferguson, with two Champions League trophies and 11 Premier League titles, has never been seduced.

He has been sounded out by some of the biggest clubs in Europe over the past two decades and yet there has never been a wobble.

Wayne Rooney, take note.

"I've had offers from clubs to go abroad, but I've never been tempted by them," admitted the United chief.

"I am not going on record to say who they are, but you'd be surprised by the names.

"It flies over your head and you get on with life. You don't leave Manchester United."

He claims he has never dared to dream and yet one of his players is doing just that, swayed by the mesmerising skills of Lionel Messi.

Rooney had never given it a second's thought until he travelled to Barcelona to shoot a commercial, fixated by the flashes of genius in the club's forward line.

The Manchester United striker has imagined what it would be like to play alongside Messi, Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

They would be the world's most feared attacking force, with Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Seydou Keita providing irresistible support from midfield.

Those are the day-dreaming moments, fantasy football in a foreign land.

ROONEY: Head turned by Barca?

It has always been an alien concept, a fanciful thought for a player who could achieve all his ambitions at Old Trafford.

Then there's the reality check, with a new-born son to consider after his wife Coleen gave birth to their first child last week.

He is settled in Prestbury, a 20-minute drive from United's training ground and happy with his lifestyle.

Of course there have been moments of frustration, with United failing to spend big in the summer to replace Cristiano Ronaldo.

They baulked at the £50m (41m euros) Real Madrid paid Lyon for Karim Benzema and then stuttered over the asking price for Valencia playmaker David Silva.

Word at United is that Silva, full of craft going forward, is too slow for the Premier League and United are not willing to pay top dollar.

Spending big is a thing of the past under the Glazers, with Ferguson bringing through another generation of homegrown players from their Carrington training academy.

That will take time, yet Rooney demands to play on the greatest stage of all.

Only this week he appeared to commit his future to United, telling supporters that he wanted to spend the rest of his career at the club.

His agent Paul Stretford has been told United will offer Rooney a new deal the moment his ban from acting as his representative ends in January.

That contract will be worth £150,000 a week and yet the Glazers, heaving under the pressure of £800m worth of debt, could be tempted to cash in.

A good World Cup and Rooney's value will go through the roof, far exceeding the £20m (£25.6 million) they paid when they signed him from Everton in 2004.

He is already worth a fortune, up there with Cristiano Ronaldo's record-breaking £80m move to Real Madrid in the summer.

A large slice of that, just shy of £60m, was immediately hived off by the Glazers to pay their annual interest payments.

They are even making redundancies at the training ground in January - something denied by the club last week - adding to the uncertainty at the club.

With the exception of Rooney, there is no longer a touch of stardust in the United side.

The striker is carrying the team, playing the best football of his career for a team still adusting to life without the World Player of the Year.

Ferguson's team still miss Ronaldo's rampaging technique, the outrageous goals and his tricks and flicks.

Now it is over to Rooney, brought in from isolation on the left to spearhead United's strikeforce this season.

He has responded, scoring nine goals already and is easily the club's most important player.

Rooney is carrying them and yet he wants a sense of the future, something to whet his appetite before he commits to United for the rest of his career.

Your comments

This article has 10 comments

First of all iwanna to express my heartfull & joyfull love to
Rooney,b.cs he is one of the heart of man utd ,so with out heart any one doesn't breath.but for the sake of Rooney Z club wiil sale him like Ronaldo. But Z two players R different b.cs Rooney play for Z club and for his dignity but ronaldo plays for his dignity only so ROONEY,ROONEY,ROONEY ,ROONEY,.....FOR EVER IN MAN UTD.....,BE TAKE FERGI ABOUT ROONEY.....,and also man utd board managers must see Z effect IF HE LEAFT.

By habtamu from addis ababa,Ethiopia.. Posted January 23 2010 at 10:56 AM.

Can we have Thierry,Eto or Drogba to replace Roo?
If no why allow our very best to leave?
Roo is the 'MAN' while others make the 'CHESTER'.
Love u Roo

By Ekundayo Toba.. Posted November 9 2009 at 10:31 AM.

What are u all talking about? Man United players' team spirit is build up by the golden boy "Wayne Rooney_What a name!!" I lack words to express my feeling about Wayne!! Even though the club's owners are still paying their debt,Please,please,please,please don't sell our golden boy,am writing it while tears are coming through my eyes truly speaking.am a true fan of United,if u r going to sell Wayne,I would prefer to die!!! Rooney can not be sold even by £85 billion not £85 million.Wayne should listen to his boss Sir Alex, as Sir Alex told him to take a note i.e the manager was asked by many clubs and countries for coaching but he showed his commitment 2 man united & still doing fantastic jobs with the club.

By Ephrem Tadesse Abera(Ethiopia,Gondar).. Posted November 9 2009 at 9:30 AM.

i dont have alot to say bt rooney cant go to barcelona look what hapnd to henry !!!!!!!

By eino isack.. Posted November 8 2009 at 1:48 PM.

Glazers are not helfing at all.

By Bello abdullahi.. Posted November 8 2009 at 11:48 AM.

Whats the point in following ronaldos footsteps? Rooney is our most important player and we should onlt accept £20 billion for him because hes the most important player on the team. If we sell him we must exchange him for messi AND ibrihimovich AND henry AND xavi AND inesta

By Utd dreamer.. Posted November 8 2009 at 11:41 AM.

What is this article all about?
After going through this article: The Glazer brothers and their greed came to mind; Rooney should not dare to dream and should stay awake till he remains the last man standing at Old trafford. The fans ones again, always ignorant of financial obligations. Since football turned the corners, the biggest sin a country or a club will commit is not to invest in its ground or players. Wake up and do not be a Platini, football is no longer an entertainment as it was long viewed, it has turned the corners into the stock markets and brand tussles are in evitable now. The Glazer brothers however entrepreneur minded they are, sure do know their onion from their pepper, therefore had not stopped at France where the brands in auction (clubs) are less favourable, but have called in at England were more money bags still sort to stop over till date. If this then is a problem to the english fans, then we should consider a referendum to chase all potential investors away than die in mourning for the likes of Ronaldo and Robinho who never really deserved us anyway.

By Jude Akpoguma.. Posted November 8 2009 at 8:52 AM.

why is a player paid so much money,i realy cannot understand why so much money!!

By anthony.. Posted November 8 2009 at 7:07 AM.

well said steve evrything you said is true.i have one thing to say to you go and join all the rest of the true united fans and watch fc united of manchester.its proper football ,trust me once you go you,ll never look back.LUHG.

By wayne.. Posted November 8 2009 at 6:49 AM.

This article is not so much about Rooney but a damning indicment on the hated Glazers!They are parasites who are feeding off the success of the last 4 yrs. Utd's annual outlay since the yanks bought the club is less than £2m,taking into account transfer dealings! We are crying out for a proven goalscorer but the glazers see paying off the debt to be the priority.
I refused to renew my s/ticket this season after the latest increase,after 41yrs active support. 18,000 s/ticket holders have stopped going to Old Trafford in the last 2yrs.
And no doubt the prices will increase next season.
If that is the case,then I foresee another exodus,and for the 1st time in 20yrs there will be empty seats at the Theatre Of Dreams!
A fact of nature.....The parasite always kill the host!

By steve.. Posted November 8 2009 at 12:32 AM.

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