How Jose ushered Rooney out

LONDON. - Wayne Rooney’s return to Everton brings his 13-year stay at Manchester United to an end.

Jose Mourinho deserves credit for handling a potentially tricky situation with a minimum of fuss.

Although Sir Alex Ferguson is rightly hailed as a master of man-management, exits of iconic players were a feature of his Manchester United reign.

Most memorably, there was the mid-season departure of Roy Keane after his damning assessment of his team-mates on United’s in-house television station. A brief power-play ensued, with only one winner.

David Beckham endured a more drawn-out process in which his relationship with the United manager fractured beyond repair, while Ruud van Nistelrooy also faced similar problems.

These were heroes to supporters, and players who had helped the club achieve great things, but that was not enough to stop Ferguson flexing his muscles and doing his job.

Of course, Wayne Rooney himself had his issues with Ferguson, the strains between the pair appearing to reach their nadir in the closing months of his reign.

The disputed claim that Rooney had issued a transfer request led many to conclude that the path had been cleared for his sale.

Certainly, it is difficult to see how he could have stayed on under Ferguson.

So when Mourinho assumed control in the summer and effectively ousted Rooney from his first eleven within six months, on the face of it, another similarly dramatic departure from Old Trafford might have been expected.

And yet, Rooney, the club’s record goalscorer, of course, has been ushered towards the exit with the skill of a diplomat.

For a coach who supposedly thrives on conflict, Mourinho has negotiated a potentially difficult situation with considerable deftness of touch. Rooney’s detractors might have preferred a public dismissal of the player’s qualities. His fans would have favoured that he continue in a bit-part role. Both groups are likely to accept that this is all for the best.

Mourinho actually set the wheels in motion in July during his opening press conference as Manchester United manager. Asked about Rooney’s future, he was effusive in his praise for the captain and would soon confirm that the player was to remain in the role. But Mourinho was also unusually adamant about precisely where Rooney would be playing.

“He will never be a No. 6 for me, he will never be someone playing 60 metres from the goal,” he explained in reference to Rooney’s penchant for dropping into midfield.

“There are many players with a great pass, but there aren’t as many players who can put the ball in the net. For me he will be a No. 9, a 10, or a 9-and-a-half, but not a 6 or even an 8.”

Mourinho framed the comments in positive terms, emphasising Rooney’s scoring ability. But having signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the team’s target man and with Henrikh Mkhitaryan further bolstering United’s attacking options, the reality of Rooney’s predicament was clear.

Mourinho limited the scope for Rooney to switch position in search of action elsewhere.