Former Manchester United forward, Wayne Rooney has disclosed how close he came to joining Barcelona in 2010.
Rooney was part of the squad that lost twice to Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona side in a back to back Champions League final.
The former Everton star had earlier blamed former boss, Alex Ferguson for the losses, stating that the Scot’s approach to the games were wrong.
“In my head, at the time, in that two-day period, I was ready to go and play in Spain,’ Rooney told the United podcast. ‘Ideally, I would have liked to have gone to Barcelona, but it was looking more likely to be Real Madrid than Barcelona. Chelsea were always there as well.
“I remember sitting down for one day and thinking “imagine playing in that Barcelona team – Messi, Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets”. And at that time Messi wasn’t playing the way he plays now, as a No 9 for instance. He was out wide.”
“I was thinking I could have slotted in perfectly. I could have come to the ball as well and have players running in behind. I remember thinking about that.”
Rooney also revealed that Premier League rivals, Chelsea and Manchester City had gunned for his signature.
“I think it was well documented that Chelsea and Mourinho wanted to sign me,’ Rooney said.
“There was Real Madrid, Barcelona and the Man City thing keeps cropping up, but there was never the option for me to go there. Although there were rumours on that as well, but the other three, really, were more realistic options.”
However, Rooney decided to remain at United. He signed a new five-year contract and stayed until 2017 – and eventually worked under Mourinho at the club.
Upon signing the terms that saw him remain at Old Trafford in 2010, Rooney cited Ferguson’s influence.
“I said on Wednesday the manager’s a genius and it’s his belief and support that convinced me to stay,” he explained.
Rooney speaking on the back to back Champions League losses against Barcelona said, “We lost two Champions League finals going toe-to-toe with Guardiola’s Barcelona, by trying to press high and get round them, which was suicidal,’ Rooney wrote earlier this year in his Sunday Times column.
“I remember Alex Ferguson saying “we’re Man United and we’re going to attack, it’s in the culture of this football club” and thinking “I’m not too sure about this”.
“I think all the players knew, deep down, it was the wrong approach, that we were abandoning the way that had brought us success in that 2008 semi-final — and sure enough both times we got outplayed.
“There is being true to the club, but then there’s sitting back afterwards and thinking ‘we lost’.”
Rooney has otherwise been effusive in his praise of Ferguson and underlined how much he relished working with the Scot at United.
Together, they won five Premier League titles at United and the Champions League in 2008.
