Rooney shipped out to USA boot camp

Wayne Rooney has been sent to a U.S. boot camp to get his head straight and his body back in shape.

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson ordered Rooney to go to give his striker the best possible chance of ­rediscovering his form and fitness after the worst slump of his career.

And he sent his controversial star across the Atlantic to ensure nothing will affect their preparation ahead of Wednesday’s Manchester derby.

United did not want Rooney to dominate the build-up to the game and affect the focus of their players, just as the 25-year-old did with his contract saga.

There is still discontent among some of the players at Old Trafford over Rooney publicly questioning their ability and ambition at the height of his contract stand-off, which ended with him penning a new £60million five-year deal.

Against that backdrop it was decided it was best for Rooney to make a 10,000-mile round trip to Portland, Oregon, on the west coast of America to train at Nike Town, HQ of United’s kit sponsors.

Fergie was suffering with a virus yesterday so it was left to his No.2 Mike Phelan to explain the decision to send Rooney so far away, when United have all the training facilities a player needs at their Carrington complex.

“We decided with Wayne and our medical, management and coaching team, that it would be best for him,” said Phelan.

“We have to get Wayne re-focused and get him back on the job in hand, which is to play football for Manchester United. He’s going on Saturday and will return the following Saturday.

“We thought it was in the best interests of him and the club to have a change of scenery for a little while.

“The idea was based on a number of things – change of scenery, the opportunity to use the facilities there and also to take him out of the ­spotlight a little bit and get him concentrated.

“Wayne has had a lot of attention lately so this will give him the best opportunity to be in good shape for when he returns.

“We will try to create an environment to give him the best opportunity to be fit in a short space of time.

“We’re not sending him away just for the sake of it. He’s going there to do some serious work.

“I don’t think Dubai (where Rooney spent a week’s holiday) was anything else but a break. There wasn’t any fitness work involved.

“His condition isn’t too bad but he just needs that extra little bit that we can give him in the next week or so.

“Wayne missed pre-season and has suffered for numerous reasons since he came back from the World Cup.

“Our medical team are ­confident we’ll get a better Wayne Rooney in a week’s time than where he is at at this moment.”

If Rooney comes through his US boot-camp unscathed, he is likely to make his United return against Wigan at Old Trafford on November 20.