Rooney hits back at critics

Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney says recent criticism of him is rubbish and has vowed to prove his worth under manager Jose Mourinho.

The 30-year-old has been underwhelming so far this season and has a fight on his hands for a first-team spot.

United have had a disappointing start to the new campaign, with back-to-back defeats against Manchester City and Watford leaving them six points off the pace of their local rivals in the Premier League table.

And Rooney has felt the full force of United fans’ anger, and his place in the team is under intense scrutiny after a string of poor displays.

“I think I’ve had that my whole career – a little bit more of late, but that’s football,” he said.

“I listen to my coaches and my team-mates, the people around me.

Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images

“I have to focus, work hard, of course, and I’ve done that throughout my career. I’ve worked hard and tried to do my best for the team.”

Rooney played centre midfield for club and country last season but Mourinho told his captain he must switch roles and play upfront this year.

However, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has impressed in attack since joining this summer, while the form of Marcus Rashford has pushed Rooney further down the pecking order.

Mourinho has picked Rooney as a number 10 and despite his insistence he can play in a number of positions, it has not worked so far.

“I’ve done that [played in different positions] throughout my career,” he said.

“I feel I can play in all positions but I think the manager has made it clear that either I’ll play up front or in the no 10. That’s where he sees me playing.”