Manchester United news: Jose Mourinho tells Wayne Rooney to leave if he wants regular football

Rooney has not started the last four league games

Rooney turned 31 years old on Monday (Getty)

Jose Mourinho has told Wayne Rooney to leave Manchester United if he wants regular first-team football.

The United and England captain was dropped from the starting line up in September and Mourinho has told Rooney’s advisors that he can no longer be guaranteed a place in the starting line-up.

The club aren’t actively looking to sell the England captain, who celebrated his 31^st birthday on Monday, but Mourinho wanted to be clear with Rooney’s camp about his future plans, report The Sun.

Rooney is no longer a central figure at the club having been left out of the starting XI for the last four Premier League games.

He was also not involved in the matchday squad for the 4-0 drubbing away to Chelsea on Sunday.

Rooney still has another two-and-a-half seasons left on his current Old Trafford deal as is believed to be keen to stay at the club for as long as possible.

The 31-year-old has been offered opportunities in both the MLS and in China which may be explored if he does leave the Red Devils.

Rooney has scored 246 goals in 530 games for United since joining in 2004 and is currently only four goals away from breaking Sir Bobby Charlton’s goalscoring record at the club, having taken his England record last year.