Rooney returns for Manchester United with vote of confidence
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Wayne Rooney's omission at Goodison Park was 'a benefit' to Manchester United, says Sir Alex Ferguson. Photograph: Matthew Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images
Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted he has no regrets over omitting Wayne Rooney against Everton as the decision benefited Manchester United. The United manager, who will recall Rooney against Rangers in the Champions League tomorrow, also denied claims the striker was dropped as punishment for attracting a series of negative headlines.
Rooney trained with the United first team squad today and is expected to start the Group C match with the Scottish champions after being left out of Saturday's 3-3 draw against his former club at Goodison Park. David Moyes, the Everton manager, suggested Rooney's absence may have been to remind the England international of the standards expected of a United player while Ferguson's assistant, Mike Phelan, said the 24-year-old "wasn't ready to play" following a week of allegations about his private life.
Yet despite watching United squander several chances and a 3-1 lead, and having an aversion to withdrawing players in response to controversy, Ferguson is adamant the anticipated abuse from Evertonians justified his decision to overlook Rooney. "I have no regrets at all. I did the right thing," he said. "I'm not clarifying it again. I left him out for the reasons I explained on Saturday. I was not going to subject him to that nonsense at that ground. It was a benefit to our team but I have no concerns about playing him at all [against Rangers]."
A hostile reception awaits Rooney from Rangers supporters and Liverpool fans in the Premier League on Sunday, albeit with both matches at Old Trafford. "I don't think there is any need to give him any encouragement," said the Rangers' captain and his former Everton team-mate, David Weir. And Ferguson insisted he had no reservations about starting the striker.
The United manager said: "He will always prove his worth because he is a terrific player. I don't know if the situation will inspire him. He has a lot of experience in these situations. But his performances for England [against Bulgaria and Switzerland] and the fact he scored was as good a boost to him as anything."
Ferguson is also expected to have Rio Ferdinand back for the Champions League opener, following a four-month absence with a knee injury. Gary Neville will make his 600th appearance if selected against Rangers but will no longer captain the side, with the manager keen to give the armband to a more regular player. Nemanja Vidic led United against Everton even with Neville in the team, and Ferguson explained: "Gary is still club captain but I have been looking for someone who is going to be playing every week. Over the last two or three years we have not had a consistent captain because Gary's injuries have prevented him playing all the time.
"With all due respect to Gary's time at United, he knows and I know, we don't play him every week and I am looking for someone who does play." When asked if Ferdinand would regain the captaincyfrom Vidic against Rangers, Ferguson said: "No comment. I haven't even discussed it."
Ferguson believes he possesses a squad capable of winning the Champions League despite failing to add any proven stars this summer, although he accepts United will need to think bigger in the future. "If I hadn't been confident we maybe would have done something this summer," he said. "I looked around at the market and there was only one player I would have brought here but that move was sealed off quite early by the club he went to. I don't think we are at the point where we have to go overboard to get the best player in the world.
"There maybe will come a time in the next couple of years where we have to stretch ourselves, particularly when Ryan [Giggs], Paul [Scholes] and Gary [Neville] retire. We'd need to get a really top player in to galvanise the younger players coming through. That is a possibility. But at the moment we have the experience."