Charlton convinced Rooney will stay

Manchester United legend Bobby Charlton believes there is no chance that Wayne Rooney will leave the club.

The England international was left out of United’s starting XI for the second leg of their Champions League tie against Real Madrid in favour of Danny Welbeck, prompting questions over whether the 27-year-old remained part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s plans at Old Trafford.

Speaking at the Laureus World Sport awards in Rio de Janeiro, Charlton said: “Wayne Rooney has maybe had an injury and he might not perform as well as he might have done but that’s not to say you get rid of him.

“Sir Alex Ferguson said he had no intentions of letting Wayne Rooney travel to anywhere and you have to abide by that, 100 percent.

“He’s a great player. Why would we get rid of a great player?”

Ferguson insisted over the weekend that Rooney will be offered a new contract with the Red Devils, but Charlton was speaking in reaction to claims from Franz Beckenbauer that the German table-toppers were interested in Rooney.

Charlton, who won the 1966 World Cup with England, made more than 600 appearances for United, winning the European Cup with them in 1968.