Rooney takes lead in United team bonding trip
WAYNE Rooney has put Manchester United’s players in the Christmas spirit by taking them on a team-bonding trip to London’s Winter Wonderland.
Manager Jose Mourinho gave his squad two days off after their win at West Bromwich Albion last weekend as he prepares to spend his first Christmas at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester.
Rooney is understood to have organised the outing and the United captain travelled down to London on Sunday with a largely English contingent of players that included Michael Carrick, Marcus Rashford, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Jesse Lingard and third-choice goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.
The family event in Hyde Park, which features ice-dancing shows and festive attractions, is a far cry from some of the more raucous Christmas celebrations enjoyed by Premier League stars over the years.
The United players relaxed in Winter Wonderland’s Bavarian Village and one onlooker said: “They were chilling in the VIP area and having a drink. When some of them decided to go to another part of the park, there was loads of security around them.”
Some of the other United players chose not to go to London while Marouane Fellaini travelled to Milan as he weighs up a possible move to Serie A in the January transfer window.
Rooney and his teammates returned to training yesterday before their Christmas fixtures at home to Sunderland on Boxing Day and Middlesbrough on New Year’s Eve after a run of four wins in all competitions.
Mourinho is set to spend most of the festive period in the Lowry, where the best suites cost about £900 a night – although it is unsure whether he’ll tuck into the Christmas menu.
United’s hierarchy are said to have no issue with their manager living out of a hotel six months after arriving in Manchester to start work.
On the contrary, it is understood the club would be happy for him to stay there for the duration of his three-year contract while his wife, Matilde, and two children remain at the family home in London. Mourinho foots the hotel bill personally and United feel there is little difference between him being at the Lowry and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola living with his family in a flat a short distance away.
The 53-year-old United boss has made it clear he wanted to remain in the city centre rather than move to the Cheshire countryside which is home to so many Premier League players.
His coaching staff are close at hand, either living at the hotel or in nearby flats, and United insist that Mourinho’s family visit him regularly in Manchester.
Meanwhile, the club remain in discussions with Benfica over a move for £38 million-rated Sweden centre back Victor Lindelof.
United see Lindelof, 22, as a long-term target rather than a stopgap signing in next month’s transfer window, but are aware of interest from other clubs and are prepared to do a deal now. That could put a question mark over the future of some of United’s other defenders, and West Ham have enquired about the availability of Smalling, who returned to action at West Brom after two months out with a toe injury.
The Hammers also maintain an interest in Fellaini and have also asked to be kept informed in the unlikely event that United would allow Rashford or Anthony Martial to go out on loan.