Rooney exit reports denied

Manchester United and Wayne Rooney have issued a joint statement denying reports the England striker is set to leave the club.

The Independent is set to release a front-page story on Saturday which claims United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is ready to let Rooney leave the club, although full details of the contents of the report are not yet known.

Rooney moved to deny the story on Twitter, posting: “The Independent are talking absolute rubbish. My future is with Manchester United – the club and I are totally committed to each other.

“The manager and I have no issues and anyone who says different doesn’t know what they are talking about.”

United have acted quickly to dismiss the speculation and insist their player is not on his way out of the club. They released a joint statement alongside Rooney’s managerial group on their official website.

“Manchester United and Wayne Rooney have been made aware of the theme of an article in tomorrow’s Independent newspaper,” the statement read.

“We have not seen the detail but can assure all United fans that the Manager and the Club are committed to Wayne Rooney and Wayne is committed to the Manager and the Club.”

“The player and the Manager have always had and retain the utmost respect for each other and look forward to working together in the coming seasons.”

“Any suggestion that Manchester United and Wayne Rooney are to part company is complete nonsense.”

Rooney was involved in an infamous transfer saga last year, which resulted in him eventually signing a long-term contract despite initially handing in a request to leave.

United are in action against fierce rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup on Sunday.