Football Talk - Ferguson plays down Rooney rift - 15/10/10
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has played down Wayne Rooney's comments regarding his ankle injury.
The 24-year-old striker was left out by boss Ferguson for the last two United games against Valencia and Sunderland, with the veteran coach citing an ankle knock as the reason for his absence. However, after playing for England in their Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro at Wembley on Tuesday, Rooney denied ever having such an injury.
Ferguson has now ignored the issue and blames the intrusion of the press as the reason for Rooney's remarks. "It is water off a duck's back to me," he told Key103. "I don't know where all these things come from. The boy is always in the spotlight and being addressed by the press. It is important how you handle it in my experience. But it just runs off me. It doesn't mean anything."