• Premier League

Rooney used to model new United kit

ESPN staff
June 6, 2013
Wayne Rooney scored for England against Brazil at the weekend © Getty Images
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Manchester United have used Wayne Rooney to model their new home kit despite the striker wanting to leave the club.

One of Sir Alex Ferguson's final statements as United manager at the end of last season was to reveal that the club had turned down a second transfer request in three years from the England forward.

The 27-year-old did not feature in either of United's final two games of their title-winning campaign, and was booed by some fans as he received his Premier League winner's medal and during the club's victory parade through the streets of Manchester.

Rooney has been linked with a move to French champions Paris Saint-Germain, but that has not stopped United kit sponsors Nike from using one of the club's most marketable stars in the publicity for the new kit for the 2013-14 campaign. Rooney is the most high-profile player in the United squad who has a personal sponsorship deal with Nike. Team-mate Robin van Persie has a deal with Adidas.

Last season, Rooney was mostly deployed in a deep-lying role in support of Van Persie, who ended his first season at Old Trafford as the Premier League's top scorer.

However, Rooney revealed in an interview in the next issue of Four Four Two magazine that he still sees himself as a central striker at this stage of his career, adding to speculation that he could leave the club.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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