Rooney - I'm sorry

Wayne Rooney has finally said sorry to United supporters for his actions last month.

The United and England striker questioned the Reds’ transfer dealings and then declared he wouldn’t be signing another Old Trafford deal to the universal shock of fans.

Just two days later, after rumours that he might do the unthinkable and move to rivals City, he changed his mind and signed a new five-year contract.

However, his subsequent conciliatory words to fans have lacked an outright apology.

Rooney said: “I feel like I have apologised to the fans, but everyone keeps saying that I haven’t, if that is the case, then I apologise for my side of things.

“I have made my point clear since I signed my contract that I am committed to this club for the long term and I want to be successful with this club.

“Of course it could have been the biggest mistake I have ever made if I’d gone. You see so many players leave this club and not do so well so I am just delighted I have stayed.

“I spoke with the manager and chief executive David Gill and obviously they reassured me the club was moving forward and from that it took maybe two or three hours to negotiate my contract and sign it.”

Rooney was double Footballer of the Year last season winning the Football Writers’ award and the PFA honour for his 34 goals.

But his form collapsed after his ankle injury in Germany against Bayern Munich last March.

He suffered a woeful World Cup then had to face lurid stories over his private life and more ankle problems this term.

His form remained subdued and then the contract row broke and piled on the part self-inflicted torment.

“After a hard couple of months it was such a great feeling to be back against Rangers,” Wayne added. “People are saying how bad I have been playing but I don’t think I have played that many games for my form to have been a disaster.

Happy

“With everything that has happened it all goes a bit overboard but I know myself I have been through patches before when I haven’t played well but I have come through them.

“I know 100 per cent I will come through this one. The off-field issues haven’t been a distraction. Not at all. It hasn’t been a distraction to my football because I haven’t played that much.

“But I am just happy it is all over now and I want to put it behind me and look forward. Mentally, I have been OK during it all. I am mentally strong.

“Because the football has not been going well and the other things that have happened everyone has put it down to not being mentally strong enough but I am.

“Obviously, the most important thing for me at the minute is to play and score goals.

“I can get back to the standard of last season. I am a confident person and think I can do it.

“It was great to be back against Rangers at Ibrox. I think I was OK. I had a few chances.

“I was happy that I was in the right positions to get the chances because normally when you come back from fitness problems it takes you a while to get into the positions to be on the end of chances, so I was happy with that.

“The penalty will give me confidence. It was nice to score but the main thing was to get back playing. I am happy with that.” Rooney was sent to Nike’s HQ in Portland in America to advance his fitness.

He spent seven days working on his conditioning and refocusing. “Going to the States has certainly helped me a lot,” he said.

“Normally, when I have been injured it has taken me four or five games to feel I was back to full fitness and I would feel it in the last 20 minutes of matches but at Ibrox I felt good in the last 20 minutes.

“What was my reaction when the manager told me about America? Well, I wasn’t going to argue with him was I?

“I needed to get the training in and, if that is what they wanted me to do, then I was happy to dot it and it worked out well.”