London (dpa) – Manchester United took the unprecedented step of denying a newspaper story before it had even hit the streets when they said that Wayne Rooney will not be sold in January. A headline on the front of Saturday's Independent, which was trailed online on Friday night said “(Sir Alex) Ferguson set to let Rooney go”. The England striker has had a somewhat strained relationship with the club in recent times, the latest incident leading to a one-match ban when he allegedly defied Old Trafford orders by having a night out on Boxing Day. But in a joint statement, United and Rooney said there were no plans for Rooney to leave the club. “Manchester United and Wayne Rooney have been made aware of the theme of an article in tomorrow's Independent newspaper,” the statement said. “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 later went further on Twitter, saying: “The Independent are talking absolute rubbish, my future is with Manchester United and the club and I am totally committed. “The manager and I have no issues and anyone who says different doesn't know what they are talking about.” BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/tr9kB Tags: Manchester United, Wayne Rooney Section: Football, Sport
