AN angry mob of balaclava-clad Man United fans stormed Wayne Rooney's home last night, demanding to know why he wants to leave. The striker called cops.
Fans who gathered outside carried a sinister banner warning: "Sign for City and you're dead."
Wayne Rooney ... fans called for answers
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The protesters - from Manchester United's notorious Men In Black "firm" - planned to plant the sign outside the wantaway Red Devil's £4million mansion.
But police arrived to disperse the demonstration before they were able to do it.
United fans fear the England striker, 25 on Sunday, could sign for their arch local rivals Man City after insisting he wants to leave Old Trafford - accusing the club of lacking ambition.
More than 40 supporters descended on the star's home as he enjoyed a night in with wife Coleen and their baby son Kai.
Arriving in a convoy of cars, they buzzed repeatedly on the footballer's intercom - telling him to come out and face them.
One said through the speaker grille: "We want to talk to you, Wayne. We want you to explain the real reason you want to leave. We're not going to hurt you."
Rooney saw the mob outside his home in Prestbury, Cheshire, at 8.30pm last night and refused to answer the door.
Order restored ... cops disperse crowd as security guards move in
Ray Bradbury
He dialled 999 and alerted United's private security firm CES.
Eight cops arrived within ten minutes and threatened to arrest the fans for public order offences unless they dispersed. Honest
Rooney watched the drama from an upstairs window.
He and his family were left unhurt but shaken. Officers went indoors to speak with him.
Last night six security men were standing guard.
Target ... Rooney faced demo
A police source said: "Rooney saw the fans on the camera by his gate and around the front of his property and called security.
"Officers arrived and told the fans they'd made their point and threatened them with arrest."
The invasion resembled a scene from 2009 movie Looking For Eric in which a gang of fans wearing masks of United legend Eric Cantona burst into a thug's house.
And it echoed the incident when a balaclava-wearing group turned up at team-mate Rio Ferdinand's house after he delayed signing a new deal in May 2005.
Last night the mob's leader, who refused to be named, said: "We don't believe what Rooney said about his reasons for leaving the club. We want answers.
"The club is struggling for money but it was struggling for money four months ago - so what's changed?
"He has got himself in a mess in his private life and we understand if he wants to run away abroad, but the least we deserve is that he's honest with us.
"If he joins City it's going to go off and he'll be seeing us again."
Another fan said: "We're not here to scare him - we're fans, not thugs. But I can tell Wayne one thing, he wants to forget joining City. That really wouldn't be a good thing to do."
No arrests were made. In 2002 David Beckham was barracked by members of the Men In Black in Budapest after United were beaten by lowly Hungarians Zalaegerszeg.
The gang name originates from a 1989 clash with die-hard West Ham fans in London.
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Earlier yesterday Rooney was blasted by his own team-mates over his claims he was quitting because United lacked ambition.
Senior stars were said to have suggested the striker should never play for United again.
Rooney was shunned as he arrived grim-faced at the club's Carrington training ground for treatment to his injured ankle.
Meanwhile manager Sir Alex Ferguson, 68, spent three hours meeting chief executive David Gill for talks about the player's future.
Midfielder Darren Fletcher - a pal of Rooney's - said: "High-profile players have left in the past but the club itself just keeps going."
Rooney, contracted until 2012, claimed United failed to give him "assurances" about the future quality of the squad.
A club statement last night said: "There are no developments of note to report today."
Ex-England boss Graham Taylor, 66, last night said Rooney would need protection "for the rest of his life" if he joined City.
Best of friends again, ll Rooney kasaini mkataba wa miaka mitano mpaka 2015. Kama nilivyoandika kwenye forum ya Man Utd sidhani Rooney ataka mpaka huo mwaka. Kilichotokea ni kuwa club inataka kuchuma hela zaidi since atakuwa kwenye contract and hopefully kwenye form nzuri vile vile. I hope I am wrong.
...HA HA HA! you are definately right!....English media kila kukicha walikuwa na wanatoa skendeli zake mpya, sijui kama ma spin doctors i.e kina Max Clifford hawajaweka spin machine zao hapa.
Rooney katikisa kiberiti sasa upepo umegeuza mwelekeo... By the time watu wanashtuka, story za machangu zitakuwa zishapoteza mvuto. Rooney haondoki Man U bana, Soon utasikia wame reconcile na Fergie. "...changa la macho mwanaharamu apite!"
Best of friends again, ll Rooney kasaini mkataba wa miaka mitano mpaka 2015. Kama nilivyoandika kwenye forum ya Man Utd sidhani Rooney ataka mpaka huo mwaka. Kilichotokea ni kuwa club inataka kuchuma hela zaidi since atakuwa kwenye contract and hopefully kwenye form nzuri vile vile. I hope I am wrong.
Wayne Rooney has apologised, says Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson
Wayne Rooney has apologised to Sir Alex Ferguson and his Manchester United team-mates after ending a turbulent few days by signing a new five-year contract.
Wayne Rooney has signed a new five-year contract with Manchester United in a dramatic U-turn after saying he wanted to leave Old Trafford.
Rooney had announced on Wednesday that he intended to quit the club due to a perceived lack of ambition by the owners but meetings with the club have seen him change his mind.
The England striker has become the best-paid player in United's history, with reports claiming the new deal is worth as much as £180,000-a-week.
"I'm signing a new deal in the absolute belief that the management, coaching staff, board and owners are totally committed to making sure United maintains its proud winning history - which is the reason I joined the club in the first place," Rooney said.
"I'm sure the fans over the last week have felt let down by what they've read and seen. But my position was from concern over the future. The fans have been brilliant with me since I arrived and it's up to me through my performances to win them over again."
Sir Alex Ferguson added: Its been a difficult week, but the intensity of the coverage is what we expect at Manchester United. I said to the boy that the door is always open and Im delighted Wayne has agreed to stay.
Sometimes, when youre in a club, it can be hard to realise just how big it is and it takes something like the events of the last few days to make you understand. I think Wayne now understands what a great club Manchester United is.
Im pleased he has accepted the challenge to guide the younger players and establish himself as one of Uniteds great players. It shows character and belief in what we stand for.
Im sure everyone involved with the club will now get behind Wayne and show him the support he needs to produce the performances we know he is capable of.
The new deal ends a saga that has gripped the football world for a week and led to an angry mob surrounding Rooney's house on Thursday protesting his planned departure.
On Wednesday Rooney released a statement declaring why he intended to leave just over two hours before United were due to play Bursaspor in the Champions League.
I met with David Gill last week and he did not give me any of the assurances I was seeking about the future squad," Rooney said in that statement.
"I then told him that I would not be signing a new contract."
Bookmakers and media reports then speculated that Rooney would make a shock move across the city to big spending rivals Manchester City but he has now declared his future to lie with the red half of Manchester.
I think Rooney made a good decision. He could have got frustrated if he had left and realised that Man U was a better place than where he would have gone. Now Rooney has to concentrate and score goals to bring honours to his club and please his fans. I am saying this being an Arsenal fan. I think we should wish others the best.
Nafikiri hizi sentensi zinazosema wachezaji walioondoka Manchester especially Beckham, van Nistelrooy na Ronaldo kwamba na career yao ndio iliisha mara moja ni uwongo au chuki kwa wachezaji hao, au pengine ulimbukeni wa kutofuatilia ligi nyingine za Ulaya walikokwenda wachezaji hao, au ule "ushamba" wa kusema ili uwe na career kama mchezaji basi lazima uwe unacheza English Premier League, au yote hayo kwa pamoja!! Ronaldo (1La Liga) na van Nistelrooy (2 La Liga) wote wameshinda La Liga na Madrid, Ronaldo amemaliza msimu mmoja na Madrid na alikuwa third top scorer japokuwa alikuwa majeruhi kwa kipindi fulani na mwaka huu anaongoza kwa ufungaji na Madridi iko top.Na ukweli mwingine ni kwamba Madrid is the World most successful club, kila mchezaji anataka kwenda pale ukiondoa wazawa wa Catalunya for some political reasons. Acheni hizo, Manchester/Fergie is not everything for a player's career, there's always a greener pasture somewhere else.
Watu wanamlaumu sana Ferguson kwamba anawakimbiza wachezaji akikorofishana nao but sometimes kama kocha unatakiwa kutoa maamuzi ambayo yana manufaa kwa timu ingawa sometimes unaweza kufanya makosa.Fergie alikiri kuwa alifanya makosa kumuuza Jaap Stam tu
DavidBeckham
Jamaa alikorofishana na Fergie kutokana na lifestyle yake but Christiano Ronaldo alifanya mambo ambayo watu walianza kumsahau Becks
Ruud Van Nistelrooy
Inasemekana alikosana na CR7 babu akaamua kumuuza ,hii ilisadia kuwapa nafasi Rooney na Ronaldo.Tangu Ruud ameondoka Man U wameshindwa kupata mchezaji wa aina yake
Christiano Ronaldo
CR7 hakukorofishana na Fergie ,yeye alitaka kupata new chalenge baada ya kushinda kila kitu kwenye ngazi ya klabu na ilikuwa good business kwa klabu ilikuwa ngumu sana kukataa, sasa naona NANI anaanza kuziba pengo la Ronaldo
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