Ruud van Nistelrooy did not walk out on Manchester United last weekend but was booted out by Alex Ferguson, it was reported on Tuesday.
The 29-year-old, scorer of 150 goals in 200 starts for United since joining in a £19-million transfer from PSV Eindhoven five years ago, left Old Trafford before United’s 4-0 victory over Charlton on Sunday after discovering he’d been left out of the team and his place taken by teenager Giuseppe Rossi.
Initial reports of van Nistelrooy’s walk out appeared to indicate that the Dutch international had made the decision himself.
However, Tuesday’s Manchester Evening News said that the training ground rows last week between manager Ferguson and Van Nistelrooy were so serious that the United boss ordered the striker to go home.
Van Nistelrooy, according to the paper, told friends he didn’t walk out on his teammates but was ordered to leave by his furious boss who said: ”You’re not welcome here.”
The forward was, the paper reported, sent packing after being told in United’s hotel that he wasn’t in the squad for the final Premiership match of the season.
However the Manchester Evening News, quoting sources in The Netherlands ”close to the van Nistelrooy camp” said the player was mystified that if events at United’s Carrington training ground were so harmful, why was he even taken to the club’s pre-match hotel?
Ferguson is also believed to have told Van Nistelrooy that he wasn’t welcome at Roy Keane’s testimonial farewell at Old Trafford on Tuesday against Celtic.
Van Nistelrooy is now back in The Netherlands ready to begin his World Cup preparations with Marco van Basten’s Dutch squad ahead of next month’s finals in Germany.
However the paper says that, despite everything, he still wishes to remain a United player unless told otherwise.
Talks between Ferguson and United chief executive David Gill are ongoing and the Dutchman’s future remains uncertain with any decision having to be ratified by the Glazer family, United’s United States-based owners.
There have been reports linking van Nistelrooy with a move to Atletico Madrid and Spanish international striker Fernando Torres moving in the other direction, though, United would have to stump up an additional £21-million. – Sapa-AFP