Rooney rejected move to China, says Beijing club chairman

Beijing, Nov 9: At a time when some big players have decided to move to China to be part of the lucrative Chinese Premier League, Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney has rejected a move to Beijing Guoan during the summer, it has been revealed.

Rooney was out of favour in Jose Mourinho's first team this season following a poor performances but returned for the 3-1 win over Swansea City on Sunday in which he had two assists.

According to Beijing Guoan honorary chairman Luo Ning, the Chinese club had approached Rooney -- who reportedly earns in excess of £300,000 (around $371,677) a week on a contract which runs until 2019 -- before the start of the current season, only to be turned down.

"We indeed made an approach for Rooney at the beginning of the season but he's informed us that he wants to stay in Manchester United," the Daily Mail quoted Ning as saying on a Bejing sports radio show on Wednesday.

"Rooney says he'll keep playing in the Premier League as long as his health allows. We even met with his agent (Paul Stratford)."

Rooney is currently on international duty with England, where he is expected to captain his country in Friday's World Cup qualifier against Scotland.