Ferguson: I was wrong about Rooney

United manager says he did not use his star striker in the best position last season

(GETTY IMAGES)

Sir Alex Ferguson admitted yesterday that he did not exploit Wayne Rooney's assets enough last season and that Manchester United are only now capitalising on his prime goalscoring qualities.

In one of the United manager's periodic interviews with the US radio station Sirius, he said of a player whose two goals in San Siro on Tuesday night took his season's tally to 25: "I think that we didn't use him properly probably last season. But we know his strengths, we know where he's best at and that's where we're using him this season."

It was a frank admission from the manager, to whom Rooney made no secret of his desire last season to play a more central role. He finished that campaign with 17 United goals. Ferguson was equally candid about David Beckham, expressing surprise that his former midfielder had been deployed in a central midfield role by coach Leonardo for this week's Champions League tie and not on the right side of midfield, where he had been widely expected to play.

"I was surprised that they played David in central midfield. I thought that they'd have played him wide right," Ferguson said – and when it was put to him that Beckham can only play on the wing, Ferguson replied: "Yes, that's true there."

Ferguson may have appeared calm when he arrived to give his post-match press conference after the 3-2 win in Milan but he described the state of "shock" he was in when the game began with the same kind of whirlwind which confounded United in their 3-0 Champions League semi-final defeat three years ago.

"One thing that's so amazing is that for the first 15 minutes [on Tuesday night] I was feeling in shock, really in shock, because the atmosphere was unbelievable. Coupled with the noise when they scored, it certainly un-nerved me, and it un-nerved my players. No matter how much experience you've got, you get into that cauldron of noise, and the response it had from the Milan players, and you're in there, and to get through that really did take a lot of courage."

He also described the verbal volley he gave to Jonny Evans during the first half as "a gentle bit of advice". "I think that our whole back four were going to get it, but he's unfortunate he was the defender nearest to me," he added.

Nemanja Vidic has insisted he wants to stay at United until his contract expires at the end of next season

Vidic told the Serbian newspaper Vecernje Novosti: "United has made me the player I am today and there is no substance whatsoever in rumours that I have been looking for a move away to either Real Madrid or AC Milan."