Venables believes Rooney should be worried
Former England manager Terry Venables believes Wayne Rooney's future at Manchester United is far from certain despite assurances from Sir Alex Ferguson.
By FOX Sports Staff
Ferguson addressed the media on Friday for the first time following United's exit from this season's UEFA Champions League campaign at the hands of Real Madrid.
The match-up was a headline maker even before a ball had been kicked as it featured two of the elite teams in European football but it descended into controversy following what United deemed a harsh red card for Nani which allowed Real to pick them off for the 2-1 victory on the night and 3-2 on aggregate.
As one of the major stories to emerge from the game - Rooney was curiously not named by Ferguson in his starting XI for "tactical reasons" sparking plenty of debate about the England international's future.
Ferguson has since rubbished reports of a falling out between the pair insisting the striker will be at Old Trafford in the long term - Venables is entirely convinced by the manager's stand.
He wrote in his column for The Sun that although he believes Ferguson was fully justified to select Danny Welbeck ahead of Rooney based on the success of his tactics before Nani's wrongful dismissal, it does not mask the fact that the former Evertonian was dropped for United's biggest game of the season.
"The United boss insists rumours he has fallen out with Roo and that the pair rarely speak are rubbish. And you have to believe him," he said.
"I am not worried by the tittle-tattle - and after years in the public eye I am sure Rooney is not either.
"What does worry me, though, as far as his career is concerned are the facts.
"Namely, that Rooney was considered not good enough to warrant a start for his club in the most high-profile match of the season.
"Do you think Mourinho would have ever considered dropping Cristiano Ronaldo against United for ‘tactical reasons?' When do Barcelona leave Lionel Messi on the bench?
"Rooney has long been regarded as his nation's best.
"And I thought that since Ronaldo's £80million switch to Spain in 2009 he had assumed the mantle of being United's best player too.
"But his berth on the bench on Tuesday hints that maybe that is no longer the case.
"You do not put big players on the bench for big games.
"The only logical conclusion - despite his manager's denial - is that the man who was once first name on the Old Trafford team-sheet is no longer a first choice."
Venables added that there is only one boss at Manchester United and perhaps it should not be a surprise that Ferguson appears to be ushering a player of Rooney's quality towards the exit.
"Ferguson did the same with David Beckham," Venables said.
"Now many believe he is doing it with Rooney.
"Some are saying that maybe the way the player handled his last contract negotiations is now coming home to roost.
"I do not know about that.
"What I do know is that Ferguson has a long memory and he never likes losing.
"That is how he has always been - impossible to judge.
"He has supported players when people thought they should be lambasted - and lambasted them when people thought they should be supported.
"If the end is in sight for Rooney at Old Trafford then I would not see him going to another Premier League club.
"The smart Euro is on him joining Paris Saint-Germain, which you have to say makes sense. A rich club on England's doorstep."