Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed Wayne Rooney wants to leave Manchester United.
Ferguson revealed the astonishing news on Tuesday afternoon as rumours continued to swirl about the England striker's future.
The manager told MUTV: "David (Gill) in the early part of the summer had opened talks with his agent and that was to be completed - or continued - after the World Cup. I was in the office on August 14 and David phoned me to say he wasn't signing a contract . He came across to see me and said 'I can't believe this'. I could not believe it. I was dumbfounded."
"Only months before he was saying this was 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 really."
Later Ferguson himself met with Rooney, who re-iterated his desire to leave, to which the manager replied: "Just remember one thing - respect this club. I don't want any nonsense."
"I don't know if he's done that. I've got doubts because we've had all these things about falling out with me and all this nonsense. It's disappointing. We've done everything we can to help Wayne Rooney since he's come to this club."
Ferguson also denied falling out with Rooney, but did claim that contrary to the player's comments, he does have an ankle injury.
The manager says he first sustained it in the Champions League draw with Rangers, and is still carrying it.
It will stop him from featuring in Wednesday's Champions League game against Bursaspor.
Ferguson went on: "Why he came out and said that you can only guess yourself. It was disappointing."
"When you know a player's form is a little down...he has an injury. You do it to protect him. You don't want to humiliate him because you respect him."
"In a lot of cases over the year we have done that. When it came to the Sunderland game I felt by leaving him out to give him a complete rest to get fit I was hoping that would get his form back."
When asked whether he'd fallen out with Rooney, Ferguson replied simply: "Not a bit."
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