Football
ESPN staff 7y

Wayne Rooney's Manchester United future must be resolved fast - Neville

The future of Wayne Rooney should be resolved before Manchester United leave for their preseason tour on July 9 to avoid creating "voids for speculation," according to his former captain Gary Neville.

United have still yet to confirm if the 31-year-old striker will stay on for the final year of his contract.

That's despite Rooney announcing after United's Europa League final victory on May 23 that he had "more or less" decided his future.

"You don't want to create voids for speculation around such big players," Neville told the BBC. "I am surprised it has not been dealt with."

The 20-time Premier League champions will assemble for preseason training on July 8 before departing for Los Angeles the next day ahead of a five-game tour of the United States.

Under Jose Mourinho last season, Rooney scored only eight goals in 39 appearances in all competitions, and was often used off the bench.

He was brought on as an 89th-minute substitute in the Europa League final, with United leading Ajax 2-0.

There has been speculation about Rooney making a big-money move to the Chinese Super League, and last month he reaffirmed that he would not play for another Premier League club, apart from his childhood team, Everton.

Neville added that Rooney needed to make up his mind about his future to ensure that United's summer doesn't become a one-man sideshow.

"You don't want that speculation to hang over a preseason because every single press conference and media session will be clogged up with the issue of whether he is staying or going," Neville said.

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