Wayne Rooney to let fans’ reaction decide his Manchester United future

Wayne Rooney is set to wait and see how fans react to him in the upcoming friendlies (Getty Images)

Troubled England striker Wayne Rooney is set to decide on whether to quit Manchester United or not depending on the kind of reaction he receives from fans.

United are set to play two friendlies – one in Sweden, and one at Old Trafford – in which the Englishman is expected to feature, having recovered from his hamstring injury that forced him to return home from Thailand before the start of pre-season action.

The Wayne Rooney saga has been one of the more enduring stories of this summer transfer window, with the striker reportedly not happy at United, while Jose Mourinho and Chelsea are on alert to the possibility of signing up the disgruntled forward. Chelsea have already had a bid of £27 million turned down by the Premier League champions.

ESPN are reporting that if Rooney receives a warm reception from the fans at the two games, the striker is said to be considering telling manager David Moyes that he wants to continue at the club. On the contrary, in the event of a hostile backlash, Rooney is likely to seek a move away from the club, with Chelsea being his most preferred destination, as he would like to work under Jose Mourinho.

United have so far maintained a consistent stance that the England forward is not for sale, and Rooney himself is yet to hand in a transfer request, though former manager Sir Alex Ferguson had mentioned that he did.