Alex Ferguson puts United dispute with Wayne Rooney back in focus

SIR ALEX FERGUSON has restated his controversial claim that Wayne Rooney asked to leave Manchester United at the end of last season.

Manchester United's Wayne Rooney with manager Alex Ferguson after Ferguson's last home game in charge of the club

SIR ALEX FERGUSON has restated his controversial claim that Wayne Rooney asked to leave Manchester United at the end of last season.

But the legendary Manchester United manager suggested their dispute could have proved a positive "turning point" in the career of the England striker.

Rooney has always privately contested Ferguson's public admission that the player "asked away" and may be unhappy to hear his former manager repeat those claims.

But Ferguson implied that his relationship with Rooney had since been repaired and argued that their run-in may have helped to remotivate the striker.

"It (the alleged request to leave) came the day after (Rooney's disaffection) became common knowledge," Ferguson said. "I'm not his PRO. I manage a team and at that particular moment he wasn't doing particularly well. But now we see him today (Thursday), he's got his energy back, he's got his purpose back, and he's doing great. So maybe that was a good turning point. "

Asked if their relationship ended badly, the Scot added: "No, I don't think so. I think if Wayne walked in here today, he would shake my hand."

Ferguson had less positive things to say about Rooney's representative, Paul Stretford.

"(I last shook Rooney's hand) the day when we won the league and the winner was presented with the cup," said Ferguson, in an interview with The Charlie Rose Show on PBS, the American state broadcaster. "Wayne is unfortunate in this sense that he is England's big white hope. And he has people who advise him. I think that's where all that's coming from. I never fell out with him at any time. Sometimes I would discipline him, but sometimes they all need discipline.

"He's back to his form and if, in some way, I've helped to bring that back, then I've done the right thing - make him aware that he's a great player and we need him. It's good for the team. But it so happened it became good for him."

Ferguson believes that the stance he adopted with Rooney and United's subsequent refusal to sell the player to Chelsea has helped to re-energise the 27-year-old.

"When the club refused to sell him to Chelsea, he realised his only job was Manchester United," he said. "It's brought back his focus. It's brought back his work ethic and his purpose."

Rooney is by no means the only United player to have had his differences with Ferguson down the years. David Beckham left Old Trafford for Real Madrid in 2003 after falling out with the Scot, who claimed Beckham "lost his focus" after marrying Victoria, a pop star with the Spice Girls.

"He got drawn into that celebrity status," Ferguson said. "For me, I'm a football man and his focus changed."

Nonetheless, Ferguson applauded Beckham's achievements. "He's an icon for young people and represents himself the proper way. And I say: 'Well done.'"

The Times