Soccer:Alex Ferguson has accused Wayne Rooney of disrespecting Manchester United after the England striker revealed to him during the summer the he wanted to leave the club. Exactly a week after Rooney blew his fractious relationship with Ferguson wide open, the United boss has responded in the most damning manner.
In a monologue that lasted exactly six minutes and 33 seconds at the end of a press conference to preview Wednesday's Champions League encounter with Bursaspor, and an interview with MUTVthat had been conducted approximately half an hour earlier, which took the Rooney camp completely by surprise, Ferguson confirmed the 24-year-old had asked to leave Old Trafford but declared "the door was still open" for him to stay.
Ferguson will have put every major European club on red alert, including Manchester City, who have more cash than anyone and know just how audacious a move for Rooney would be. Everton are also going to be interested observers considering they stand to pocket 25 per cent of any transfer fee United receive, above the €29 million sum they initially spent to buy the player in 2004.
Ferguson is not the type to open his heart. Yet that is how it seemed as he tried to draw conclusions from the complete U-turn Rooney's career path has taken since he announced last spring his intention to remain with United for life. The Scot's assessment did not make pretty reading for a player who celebrates his 25th birthday on Saturday and whose private life is mired in controversy amid lurid allegations that came to light in September.
"I was in the office on August 14th and (chief executive) David (Gill) phoned me," outlined Ferguson. "He had got a phone call from his agent saying that he (Rooney) wasn't signing a contract.
"I couldn't believe it. I just was dumbfounded. I could not understand it because only months before he was saying he was at the greatest club in the world and he wanted to stay for life.
"We just don't know what's changed the boy's mind. The next step was going to be important, decisive for us. I then asked to have a meeting with the boy and he reiterated what his agent had said - he wanted to go.
"The one thing I said was 'Just remember one thing: respect this club. I don't want any nonsense from you. Respect the club'.
"I don't know if he's done that. I have got doubts on that because we're reading things about falling out with me and all that nonsense. It's disappointing because we have done everything we possibly can to help Wayne Rooney from the minute he's come to the club."
It is quite extraordinary such news remained secret until Sunday. Also somewhat surprising is the fact United did not try to cash in before the transfer window closed on August 31st given Rooney now only has 20 months on his present deal left to run.
On days such as this though, Ferguson stands on his own on centre stage and, without mentioning him by name, criticising the influence of Rooney's long-time adviser Paul Stretford.
"With the modern-day players it is not as easy as it was many years ago," he said. "Then the player would trust and depend on the manager. You also had more contact with parents.
"But that has gone now. It is dealing with agents who live in the pockets of players. It's a pity."
It is from that position Ferguson is insisting the door is still open. The chances of Rooney walking through it, even before he was amazingly strechered off United's Carrington training ground with an ankle injury - the injury that started the whole explosion a week ago - appear slim, with a January exit rated most likely.
But an offer remains, if not a contract. Discussions never actually got that far.
"We realise and recognise the quality of the player, that's why the negotiations were starting early summer - two years before his contract was up - to extend that contract," said Ferguson. "So we were honouring that request from Wayne to stay at the club he loved.
"David (Gill) was prepared, following discussions with our owners to offer Wayne the best contract any player could have. Now there is no offer on the table because they are not prepared to listen to one."
Neither was Rooney prepared to accept Ferguson's claim that an ankle injury had ruled him out of recent games against Valencia and Sunderland, even though his manager now admits it was partly a device aimed at saving the player from professional humiliation.
"He was injured," said Ferguson. Why he came out and said what he did (in the mixed zone at Wembley), you can only guess yourself.
"You have times when you know that a player's form is a little bit down that you say he has an injury simply because you are protecting him. You don't want to humiliate him because you respect him.
"In this case I felt that we would give him a complete break to get rid of all traces of the ankle injury, play for England, hoping we'd get his form back. That was the intention."