Wayne Rooney has the last word over Manchester United dispute with Sir Alex Ferguson in new film

The omertá Sir Alex Ferguson established at Manchester United is not as watertight as it once was. Wayne Rooney demonstrated during his garlanded playing career he was an erudite observer of the game and he has become more candid in retirement.

In the film Rooney, the 2010 episode of his transfer request is rushed through, told via archive footage of Ferguson's compelling press conference at Old Trafford and his addresses to the nation on MUTV. Rooney reflects off-screen but has the last word.

“Actually, if you look five years down the line from that meeting, Alex Ferguson knew where the club was going and he got out of there as quick as he could and they're still picking up the pieces now.”

Like Roy Keane, Rooney dares to go where no other teammate would. Keane traced United's downfall to Ferguson's dispute over the Rock of Gibraltar stud rights that indirectly led to the takeover by the Glazer family. Rooney was critical of Ferguson's tactics in the Champions League final surrenders to Barcelona in 2009 and 2011 and his concern over United's squad rebuild was prescient.

"We sold Tevez and we sold Ronaldo, so I was the one player left of high profile," Rooney says. "I went into Alex Ferguson’s office and said to him, ‘what’s the plan here? At the minute, we’ve brought in two young English players who are unproven’. I remember Alex Ferguson’s response was, ‘Get out of my office’.

“They were offering me a contract of £200,000 a week. So it would have been quite easy for me to say, ‘five years, £200,000 a week, let me sign it now. But I wanted success on the pitch. That means more to me."

Tellingly, Ferguson does not contribute to the film, nor did he for the BBC's Rooney: The Man Behind the Goals in 2015. Ferguson had