Fergie packs struggling Rooney off to US boot camp

LONDON - Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has been packed off by manager Sir Alex Ferguson to America to regain his form.

According to The Sun, the 25-year-old flies to a state-of-the- art fitness centre in Portland today and will spend the next seven days honing his physical condition to the level demanded by his manager.

The Scot has made it clear he expects Rooney to be ready for an instant recall on his return.

Ferguson, whose side face Wolves today and City on Wednesday, has booked Rooney on a 10-hour flight to the far north-west corner of America, rather than let the striker complete his return to fitness at United’s equally well-equipped training complex at Carrington.

A virus kept Ferguson away from United’s training complex yesterday, but assistant manager Mike Phelan left little doubt that the player’s trip to Nike’s world headquarters was another example of Rooney being brought into line.

‘It’s a week’s intensive conditioning, under the supervision of our medical team and sports science department,’ said Phelan.

‘He’s going to do some serious work this time. We’re not sending him away just for the sake of it. We have to get him re-focused and back to the job in hand, which is to play football for United.” (ANI)