Fergie confirms Rooney wants out

Time to move on? ... Wayne Rooney with Sir Alex Ferguson. Source: Jon Super / AAP

Wayne Rooney took some of the gloss off Alex Ferguson's Old Trafford farewell party after the United manager confirmed the striker has asked to leave the club for the second time in three years.

Ferguson, who retires at the end of the season, dropped Rooney for the 2-1 win over Swansea City in his final home game, and said the England international had not been in the right frame of mind to play.

		P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
1	Man United	37	28	4	5	43	88
2	Man City	36	22	9	5	31	75
3	Chelsea	37	21	9	7	35	72
4	Tottenham	37	20	9	8	19	69
5	Arsenal	36	19	10	7	31	67
6	Everton	37	16	15	6	16	63
7	Liverpool	37	15	13	9	27	58
8	West Brom	37	14	6	17	-4	48
9	Swansea	37	11	13	13	-1	46
10	West Ham	37	11	10	16	-10	43
11	Stoke	37	9	14	14	-11	41
12	Norwich	37	9	14	14	-18	41
13	Newcastle	37	11	8	18	-22	41
14	Southampton	37	9	13	15	-11	40
15	Fulham	37	10	10	17	-13	40
16	Aston Villa	37	10	10	17	-22	40
17	Sunderland	37	9	12	16	-12	39
18	Wigan	36	9	8	19	-23	35
19	Reading	36	6	10	20	-26	28
20	QPR	37	4	13	20	-29	25

"I don't think Wayne was keen to play because he's asked for a transfer and he wants to think it through in his mind. I think that's a good idea,'' said Ferguson.

"We're not going to let him go. I think maybe he's a little bit frustrated that he's been taken off once or twice in the last few weeks.''

Asked to confirm that Rooney had submitted a transfer request, Ferguson said: "Yes, he's asked, yeah.''

"We have refused it. I think he should go away and think it over again. He wasn't happy about being taken off a few times this season, but a Wayne Rooney in top form wouldn't be taken off.''

Asked if Rooney would stay at the club, Ferguson said: "It's not my decision now.''

Rooney, 27, first asked to leave United in 2010, when he accused the club of failing to match his ambitions, only to change his mind and sign a new five-year contract.

Although he was not included in United's match-day squad, he took part in the post-match celebrations after the squad were presented with the Premier League trophy and was also seen to share a brief on-pitch embrace with Ferguson.

Speculation about his future was sparked after he was left out of the United starting XI for the crucial Champions League last 16 home game against Real Madrid in March, with England teammate Danny Welbeck playing in his place.

He has also been obliged to play in an unfamiliar midfield role in recent weeks, due to top scorer Robin van Persie's status as the club's number-one striker.

Rumours that Rooney had asked to leave the club again first emerged shortly after Ferguson announced last week that he was leaving Old Trafford after a record-breaking 26-and-a-half-year spell in which he has won 38 trophies.

Ferguson's successor, David Moyes, gave Rooney his professional debut at the age of 16 when he was at Everton.

Rooney joined United in a $A41.81 million transfer two years later and although Moyes sued him over remarks that appeared in the player's autobiography in 2006, the pair later reconciled.

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