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Wayne Rooney not happy when Mourinho arrived at Man Utd

Jose Mourinho brought silverware to Manchester United, winning the Europa League and EFL Cup, but it wasn’t enough for Wayne Rooney, who has admitted that he wanted to leave Old Trafford during Mourinho’s tenure.

The current Fenerbahce manager is preparing for a Europa League showdown against his former club, as the Turkish side hosts Manchester United on Thursday (October 24).

After being dismissed from Old Trafford in 2018, Mourinho’s debut season was marked by a Europa League and EFL Cup triumph.

Rooney grew frustrated during Mourinho’s reign, even informing the former Chelsea manager of his desire to depart the club.

In his 13th season at United, the Premier League legend found himself on the bench for much of the 2016/17 campaign—a role he was unaccustomed to. Rooney, one of the greatest players in the league’s history, struggled with this transition.

Earlier this year, Rooney opened up on the Stick to Football podcast about his challenging experience under Mourinho. “Playing under José Mourinho was probably my toughest year at Manchester United because, as captain, I wasn’t playing.

I knew when he signed Zlatan Ibrahimović that I wouldn’t get much gametime since he plays with just one striker.”

“José started the season with both of us up front, and things went well at first, but after a poor performance away against Norwich City, I was disappointed. I felt I had given him an excuse to drop me, and after that, I struggled to get back into the team.”

Rooney added, “It was tough going into training every day as captain, having to put on a brave face while not playing and not being happy.”