Man Roo
Gary Neville has piled the pressure on Everton by insisting he can see Wayne Rooney leaving Goodison Park. Neville is a huge admirer of his England team-mate and has admitted he would love to play alongside him at Manchester United. The full-back said: “It’s feasible Wayne could go to another club. “When a player has played like he did at Euro 2004, he is going to attract a lot of attention.” But SunSport has learned United are playing a waiting game over the £35million-rated striker and are NOT planning to put in a bid before the start of the season. That means if Rooney rejects a new contract at Everton, the Merseysiders would have to approach United to strike a deal.
Michael Morgan, The Sun
Neville: Roo chase will hot up
Gary Neville claims Everton will struggle to hold on to Wayne Rooney following his starring role at Euro 2004. Everton are trying to thwart Manchester United by offering Rooney a new club record five-year deal worth £50,000 a week. But Rooney is expected to reject the deal because it is understood he would like to move to United and Neville can see the 18-year-old leaving Goodison Park this summer. Neville was greatly impressed after playing alongside him at Euro 2004. He claims there are few players in the world, let alone England, who can compare to him, even at this early stage of his career. " For England, I´m just lucky to have the opportunity to play with him because he is such a special talent," he said. " Obviously he needs nurturing and looking after, but he´s level-headed and he´s a good football player. He´s the type who will hold the ball up, turn and run at a player and there aren´t many players like that."
David Anderson, Daily Mirror
Steady on, Ron
Alex Ferguson has vowed to treat Cristiano Ronaldo gently next season despite the teenager taking Europe by storm. The Portuguese winger started just 15 Premiership games last term and was even given two weeks off by his Manchester United boss midway through the campaign. The policy of wrapping the 19-year-old in cotton wool paid dividends as he emerged as one of the stars of Euro 2004. Fergie said: “He did well in the finals but he is only a young lad and we have to take our time with him.”
Ben Kinsella, The Sun
Injuries clobber Kleber
Kleberson´s bid to be a smash hit at Manchester United and win back his place in the Brazil team has hit a snag. The little midfielder will miss Brazil´s Copa America opener against Chile today with a thigh injury. And that is yet another worry for United boss Sir Alex Ferguson. Injuries and domestic worries combined to reduce Kleberson to a bit-part role last season. And speaking at the Brazilian training camp, the World Cup winner said: " I´m gambling everything on next season. I had some exciting moments in my first season in England. But I was injured twice and that put me back both at my club and with the national team."
Bill Thornton, Daily Star
It´s kids´ stuff to buy abroad
Manchester United have defended their policy of cherry-picking the world´s best young talent by blasting the Academy rules that have complicated the recruitment of English kids. United Academy director Les Kershaw blames the FA´s 90-mile radius recruitment rule and the high compensation costs involved in signing talented young English players as the main reasons why a club that brought through a ´golden generation´ of British youngsters in the early Nineties are now going overseas. He said: " It´s easier to get a lad from Barcelona that it is from Birmingham. There is something wrong with the system."
Richard Tanner, Daily Express
Angry fit of Pique
Old Trafford teenage recruit Gerard Pique has launched a bitter attack on former club Barcelona. Barca are locked in a dispute with Manchester United over compensation for the 17-year-old defender. Pique said: " The directors at Barcelona treated me very poorly. I don´t think they wanted me that badly otherwise they´d have offered me a new deal several months ago.
Sports staff, Daily Mirror