Moyes banishes Rooney to Manchester United reserves

Wayne Rooney has taken a significant step towards the Manchester United exit door after he was ordered to train with reserves by David Moyes on Thursday, Goal.com reported.

Rooney arrived for training expecting to join up with the rest of the United first-team but at 10am was told that he would be working with the reserve players.

The wantaway striker is recovering from a shoulder problem that ruled him out of Tuesday’s friendly against AIK in Stockholm, but was given no indication that he would be exiled from the first-team squad.

Sources have told Goal that Rooney appeared to be training 'normally' and was courteous and smiling as he showed no emotional reaction to the decision.

Moyes’ decision to keep Rooney away from the first-team represents a change in United’s stance towards the striker. The United boss has publicly insisted Rooney is not for sale but, privately, has been angered by the 27-year-old’s attempts to engineer a summer transfer to Chelsea.