<p><br /> Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed striker Wayne Rooney wants to leave the club.<br /> </p><p><br /> Rooney's future has been the subject of intense speculation over the last few days following reports that the England striker was unprepared to sign a new contract.<br /> </p><p><br /> Ferguson said: "David (Gill, chief executive) in the early part of the summer had opened talks with his agent and that was to be continued after the World Cup.<br /> </p><p><br /> "I was in the office on August 14 and David phoned me to say he wasn't signing a contract.<br /> </p><p><br /> "I was dumbfounded. Only months before he was saying he was at the greatest club in the world.<br /> </p><p><br /> "I asked to have a meeting with the boy.<br /> </p><p><br /> "He reiterated what his agent said, that he wanted to go."<br /> </p><p><br /> Ferguson admitted he was stunned by Rooney's stance but confirmed the door remained open for the former Everton man.<br /> </p><p><br /> "We cannot quite understand why he would want to leave," he said.<br /> </p><p><br /> "I can do no more than I have said at the moment because we still, to my mind, have the door open."<br /> </p>
