Wayne Rooney’s future needs to be resolved to stop it “clogging up” Manchester United’s pre-season, says former team-mate Gary Neville.
Rooney, 31, said after his substitute appearance in United’s Europa League final victory on 24 May that he had “more or less” decided his future.
The club are yet to say if he will stay for the final year of his contract.
But Neville said: “You don’t want to create voids for speculation around such big players.”
United’s players are due to return for pre-season training on 8 July.
They leave for Los Angeles the following day to start a five-game tour of the United States, which will be followed by matches in Oslo and Dublin.
What are Rooney’s options?
In 2013, speculation about Rooney moving to Chelsea intensified as United flew to Thailand for the start of their only pre-season under David Moyes.
But the striker stayed, signing his latest contract, which expires in 2018.
Although he broke Sir Bobby Charlton’s club goalscoring record at Stoke in January – finishing the season on 253 from 559 appearances – Rooney’s involvement receded as the season went on.
Indeed he was only used as an 89th-minute substitute in the Europa League final, with United already 2-0 up.
It had been anticipated the game in Stockholm would be Rooney’s last for United.
However, the potential for him to make a lucrative move to China has lessened following the implementation of tighter restrictions on overseas players.
Los Angeles Galaxy are not interested in signing him, and Rooney repeated last month his stance that he would not play for another Premier League club apart from United and former club Everton.
“I am surprised it has not been dealt with,” said Neville.
“You don’t want that speculation to hang over a pre-season because every single press conference and media session will be clogged up with the issue of whether he is staying or going.”
Neville was speaking to the BBC at the launch of an academy at National League North side Salford City, the team he part owns with fellow ‘Class of 92’ members Ryan Giggs, Phil Neville, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt.
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