| Liverpool confident over takeover Liverpool chief executive Christian Purslow is confident the proposed takeover of the club by New England Sports Ventures will go ahead. news.bbc.co.uk |
Special forces eliminate 300 Taliban and al-Qaeda leaders, says General David Petraeus Special allied forces have killed or captured hundreds of militant leaders in the last three months, according to Gen David Petraeus, the head of Nato forces in Afghanistan. telegraph.co.uk |
Wayne Rooney stays at Manchester United • Manchester United and player make up differences• 'I think Wayne now understands what a great club United is'• Sport blog: Have your say on a crazy week at Old Trafford• Send in your takes on the Rooney saga and win a £100 bet• Much more on the story at guardian.co.uk/footballWayne Rooney has vowed to win back the trust of Manchester United's supporters after a remarkable U-turn to agree a new five-year contract only two days after confirming he wanted to leave Old Trafford because he thought they were a club in decline.Rooney has become the best-paid player in the history of the club by agreeing a deal thought to be worth as much as £180,000 a week in a move that will inevitably invite allegations that he and his agent, Paul Stretford, have been guilty of cynical greed to get the best deal possible.The news represents a significant setback to Manchester City, with senior officials at Eastlands convinced that Rooney had decided to move across the city, and the player is aware that feelings are running high against him."I'm sure the fans over the last week have felt let down by what they've read and seen," he said. "But my position was from concern over the future. The fans have been brilliant with me since I arrived and it's up to me through my performances to win them over again."I'm delighted to sign another deal at United. In the last couple of days, I've talked to the manager and the owners and they've convinced me this is where I belong. I said on Wednesday the manager's a genius and it's his belief and support that have convinced me to stay."I'm signing a new deal in the absolute belief that the management, coaching staff, board and owners are totally committed to making sure United maintains its proud winning history – which is the reason I joined the club in the first place."That represents a complete volte-face from Rooney's statement on Wednesday questioning whether the club were in danger of stagnating under the ownership of the Glazer family.His position looked untenable at that time, with serious cracks emerging in his relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson, but the manager and player have spoken at length to try to resolve those differences over the last two days. "Wayne has apologised to me and the players," Ferguson said. "He will also do so with the supporters."Ferguson told Rooney he was in danger of making the biggest mistake of his professional life but it was only when the Glazers agreed to increase the amount of money on offer to the footballer of the year that he changed his mind."It's been a difficult week, but the intensity of the coverage is what we expect at Manchester United," Ferguson said. "I said to the boy that the door is always open and I'm delighted Wayne has agreed to stay."Sometimes, when you're in a club, it can be hard to realise just how big it is and it takes something like the events of the last few days to make you understand. I think Wayne now understands what a great club Manchester United is."I'm pleased he has accepted the challenge to guide the younger players and establish himself as one of United's great players. It shows character and belief in what we stand for."I'm sure everyone involved with the club will now get behind Wayne and show him the support he needs to produce the performances we know he is capable of."Rio Ferdinand said on Twitter that he had always expected Rooney to stay at Old Trafford: "It was never in doubt in my mind tweeps, wazza is Man utd through and through there's no way I could have seen him playing for another club, defo not a prem club anyway."Rooney will have to wait a while before returning for United, having been ruled out for three weeks with an ankle injury. That means he is likely to miss the first Manchester derby of the season on 10 November.In addition, Rooney will miss the Champions League return against Bursaspor a week earlier, next week's Carling Cup tie with Wolves, plus Premier League games against Stoke on Sunday, Tottenham and Wolves when they visit Old Trafford on 6 November.Manchester United's statement in fullWayne Rooney has agreed a new five-year contract to stay at Manchester United until at least June 2015.The agreement follows intensive discussions between the club and the player's representatives and means that by the end of his contract Wayne will have been a Manchester United player for 11 years.Sir Alex Ferguson said: "It's been a difficult week, but the intensity of the coverage is what we expect at Manchester United. I said to the boy that the door is always open and I'm delighted Wayne has agreed to stay."Sometimes, when you're in a club, it can be hard to realise just how big it is and it takes something like the events of the last few days to make you understand. I think Wayne now understands what a great club Manchester United is."I'm pleased he has accepted the challenge to guide the younger players and establish himself as one of United's great players. It shows character and belief in what we stand for."I'm sure everyone involved with the club will now get behind Wayne and show him the support he needs to produce the performances we know he is capable of."Wayne RooneyManchester UnitedDaniel Taylorguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Fears for house prices as mortgage lending falls again The number of mortgages approved for house purchase fell for the sixth month in a row during October as buyers continued to avoid from the market. telegraph.co.uk |
Vince Cable backs break-up of big banks Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, has given official backing to recommendations that call for investment banks to be broken up. timesonline.co.uk |