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Wayne Rooney Reveals Everton Owner Forced Him to Leave

Wayne Rooney says the decision to leave Everton this summer wasn't his own, claiming owner Farhad Moshiri forced his hand prior to his move to MLS with DC United.
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Wayne Rooney says the decision to leave Everton this summer wasn't his own, claiming owner Farhad Moshiri forced his hand prior to his move to MLS with DC United.

Rooney rejoined Everton from Manchester United last summer, scoring 10 goals in 31 games in what was a tough season for the Toffees, who sacked manager Ronald Koeman in October. 

He struggled under Koeman's replacement Sam Allardyce, who, according to Rooney, was willing to keep him at the club if his own future lay with Everton. 

Everton, however, decided to replace Allardyce with Marco Silva, and Rooney's departure followed. 

"Leaving was the owner's decision. He knew he was going to bring a lot of players in and wanted to free money up. That's his decision but I'm disappointed how it happened." Rooney told the Times.

"I started to think: 'Is there something being said?' So I went to see Sam Allardyce. I said 'listen, I'm not a kid, what's going on - do you want me or not?' Sam was the honest one. He said, 'If I'm still here next season you might not play as much but I still want you.'

"But then he said: 'I'm not sure the owner has the same opinion' and I was trying to get an honest answer out of the owner took three months.

"I kept trying and trying. All I wanted was clarity. Even Marco Silva was surprised, because before he came in he was told I was leaving, but that was before I was told I could leave."

Since moving to MLS, the former Manchester United hero has scored four goals in 13 appearances, and made headlines with a spectacular 96th minute assist for Luciano Acosta to secure a 3-2 win against Orlando City.