Rooney played one season under Mourinho before re-joining Everton (Picture: Getty)
Wayne Rooney has admitted playing under Jose Mourinho was his ‘toughest year’ at Manchester United after opening up on his relationship with his former manager.
Mourinho arrived at Old Trafford in the summer of 2016, replacing Louis van Gaal at the helm and winning the League Cup and Europa League in his first season in charge.
That 2016-17 season also proved to be Rooney’s last at the club, departing as the club’s all-time top scorer with 253 goals to rejoin boyhood club Everton.
Still club captain, the England star started the season in the first-team, supporting new signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic in attack but gradually lost his place in the side as the season wore on.
Speaking on Stick to Football, the former United skipper revealed he was ‘disappointed’ with his diminished role in the team, explaining his struggles ‘trying to put on a brave face’ while still club captain.
Despite those frustrations, Rooney described Mourinho as a ‘good guy’ he respected during their time together.
‘Playing under José Mourinho was probably my toughest year at Manchester United because I was captain, but I wasn’t playing,’ Rooney said. ‘I knew when he came in and signed Zlatan Ibrahimović I wasn’t going to get much gametime as he only plays one way and that’s with one striker.
Rooney lost his place in the side that season (Picture: Getty)
‘José started the season with myself and Zlatan up top and we had started well, but we played Norwich City away and I was terrible, the whole team was bad but I was disappointed because I had given him the chance to leave me out the team, which he did and from then, I never really got back in the team.
‘That was difficult for me, going into training every day as captain and having to put on a brave face even though I wasn’t playing and wasn’t happy.
Mourinho convinced Rooney to stay until the end of the season (Picture: Getty)
‘The Europa League final in 2017, which was my last appearance for the club, and he brought me on with 30 seconds left of the match. I was on the bench for the League Cup final against Southampton, I was ready to come on but then Zlatan scored, and he told me to sit back down.
‘As a person, José was a good person, and obviously you have your frustrations when you’re not playing, but as a person he was a good guy.’
Rooney explained he initially wanted to leave United midway through that season after an approach from Everton.
‘I spoke to José in January 2017 and told him that Everton had approached me, and I wanted to go that month on loan or however because I wanted to play football.
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‘To be fair, he told me that he may need me for the rest of the season playing in the Europa League games, so asked me to stay till the end of the season and I promise you can you leave then.
‘I always knew I was going to be a support act for Zlatan Ibrahimović for the rest of the season, so I stayed at the club, but he always kept his word and let me go in the summer.
‘It was a hard time, it was horrible because as captain you wanted to be contributing. But I knew I couldn’t do anything about it.’
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