Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has told themuch-maligned Wayne Rooney that he must leave the club if he wants regular first team football, according to a report inThe Sun.
The striker, who turned 31 on Monday, has been largely a peripheral figure at the club in recent months, having seen his form plummet with the Red Devils and England national side.
Despite recent reports that Mourinho is not actively looking to sell Rooney, he does not want to keep the player and his advisers in the dark about future plans, given that he cannot guarantee him a starting place any longer.
Rooney has been an acclaimedfigureat the clubsince signingfor the Red Devils in 2004, accruing an impressive 246 goals in 532 games, but his stock has nosedived considerably.
He has not started the last four league games and an apparent 'muscle injury' prevented him from featuring for United's 4-0 capitulation to Chelsea on Sunday.
Although Rooney still has two years to run on his current andcolossal £250k per-week contract, heand his team of advisers will now have to decide what futurelies ahead, given that interest will invariably come from the American Major League Soccer, as well as China.
One possible option may be for United to negotiate a pay-off with the player, but certainly it seems that the player's long-term future lies away from Old Trafford.