Journalism of Courage
Alex Ferguson left Wayne Rooney out of Manchester United8217;s squad for the manager8217;s final game at Old Trafford Sunday,increasing speculation that the striker could be on his way out of the club.
Rooney was not even included on the bench for the Premier League match against Swansea,which will serve as a farewell for both Ferguson and midfielder Paul Scholes.
Instead,the England international watched the game with his family from an executive box. Television cameras spotted a smiling Rooney unfurling a red flag with 8216;Champions 20138217; written on it.
There was no indication from United that Rooney was injured.
United insisted on Wednesday Rooney was not for sale,but a person familiar with the situation said Rooney held talks with Ferguson in recent weeks and indicated he wanted to leave the club. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to confirm British media reports because he was not authorized to discuss the talks publicly.
Those discussions took place before Ferguson announced he was retiring at the end of the season. Ferguson will be replaced by Everton manager David Moyes,the man who sold Rooney to United in 2004 and then launched successful legal action against the striker over allegations in Rooney8217;s autobiography that the Scot leaked details of a private conversation to the media about the factors behind Rooney8217;s move from Everton.
