Scot says England striker cannot speak the language, so will not be affected.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has defended star striker Wayne Rooney after the England international was labelled a “hooligan’ in the Spanish press.
United face Real Madrid in the first leg of their round-of-16 Champions League tie at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night.
“Well, he is a mature player now and he is 27 years of age,” Ferguson said in his pre-match Champions League press conference.
“I think that when players mature little bits of their game change and in terms of consistency …I mean, his goalscoring over the past few years has been very consistent.
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“When he first came to us he played in snatches of goals. Maybe he would go six games without scoring and then have maybe four or five together. Now there is a far more consistent nature in terms of his goals.
“He provides for us and you are right – he can play in certain positions with a great enthusiasm,. What can I say? The boy is a terrific player. He has got energy, he has got enthusiasm, he has got desire.
“Not every player in the world has got these qualities. Plus, the fact that he can play. So, I am not interested in what a Madrid paper says. (Wayne) Rooney can’t speak Spanish, can he? He can’t read Spanish – so we are alright.”
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