Football
9y

Wayne Rooney: Moving to Arsenal was good for Danny Welbeck

Wayne Rooney believes Danny Welbeck was right to leave Manchester United for Arsenal but says it will be "weird" to line up against his former teammate on Saturday.

Welbeck, a Mancunian and a United fan who graduated from the club's academy, joined the Gunners for 16 million pounds on the final day of the summer transfer window.

And his former strike partner Rooney feels it will be strange to see the striker in an Arsenal shirt at the Emirates Stadium when they meet at the weekend.

"Of course, Danny has been here all of his life," Rooney told MUTV. "He is a Manchester lad so it is weird seeing him [there]. But that's football nowadays and players move on."

Welbeck only scored 29 goals in 142 matches for United, although he was often used as a winger or a substitute and found himself granted fewer games as a striker after the 2012 arrival of Robin van Persie from Arsenal.

Rooney says his England teammate was right to make the move to the Gunners due to his limited opportunities at Old Trafford, and believes he is benefiting from the chance to play as a centre-forward for Arsene Wenger's team.

He added: "I think, for Danny, and for his own personal career, it was probably the best move for him. He's done great and scored a few goals and is playing well. Danny gives you what he always gives you -- a good shift. He works hard for the team.

"At times, as I said to him, he works a bit too hard but he's scoring goals and he's doing well."

United manager Louis van Gaal said on Thursday that he stood by his decision to sell Welbeck, but is not surprised to see him performing well for Arsenal after being given regular first-team football.

"I think that a player who is playing mostly fixed in the team, he develops and always will," Van Gaal is quoted as saying by Manchester Evening News. "He takes all the benefit from playing every week.

"That was a question mark with Manchester United. It's good to see he's doing what I thought."

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