Jose Mourinho reveals emotional wrench of Wayne Rooney leaving Manchester United to rejoin Everton

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Jose Mourinho has revealed that he said an ‘emotional’ goodbye to Wayne Rooney before the Manchester United captain ended his 13-year career at Old Trafford and returned to Everton.

Rooney left United on a free transfer earlier this month when Everton’s Romelu Lukaku moved in the opposite direction in a £75million deal.

Mourinho believes that United owed it to their all-time record goalscorer to let Rooney return to his boyhood club where he is likely to have more first-team opportunities.

Wayne Rooney returned to Everton after 13 years at Manchester United on a free transfer

But he admitted that saying farewell to the 31-year-old striker wasn’t as easy as some people might think. 

‘I miss him a lot,’ said Mourinho. ‘I think he’s a fantastic guy. I’m not the kind of guy that gets normally emotional in my job and I did it with him when he left.

‘But I’m sure that he’s going to be very very good for Everton and Everton is going to be very very good for him.

The 31-year-old striker has impressed for Everton in the pre-season friendlies so far

‘It was not difficult (to let him go) because he deserves that it’s not difficult. He deserves what he got and what he got was our desire for him to stay and our respect by letting it be completely clear that we would like him to stay.

‘And at the same time, the respect that allows him to be happy – allow him to try to play every game, every minute which honestly I think he needs.

‘At his age, I think with his genetic, with his body, with his personality too, I don’t think he’s the kind of player to be less motivated, not so happy because he’s not playing every minute.

‘I think with his body he needs to be working at high intensity every day, every match. So I think he deserves that respect from us: if you want to go, we have to make it easy for you to go.’