Wayne Rooney has said he would not feel comfortable accepting another Premier League medal if Manchester City were stripped of their titles, disagreeing with former Manchester United team-mates Rio Ferdinand and David de Gea.
On Tuesday, an independent commission found Manchester City guilty of most of the 115 charges against them relating to breaches of Premier League financial regulations. The commission found the club artificially inflated revenue and cut costs by more than £900 million over a nine-year period between 2009-10 and 2017-18.
Former United stars react to City verdict
During that period, Manchester City won the Premier League three times, including the 2011-12 title on goal difference on the final day, pipping United thanks to Sergio Aguero's stoppage-time winner against Queens Park Rangers. Six years later, United finished runners-up to a City side that became the first in Premier League history to reach 100 points.
Some former United players would be entitled to at least one more winner's medal, though not all would welcome the idea.
Ferdinand and Keane respond
Ferdinand wrote on social media: "Another Premier League medal to be added to the cabinet," adding: "And another for Jose [Mourinho]..." He also suggested Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would be due another medal, though the period does not cover the 2020-21 season.
Roy Keane, who would not be eligible for any medals, said the trophies City won during the period are now redundant. "They knew it would hurt a lot of people, but they've still done it, and, if I was a player, I'd be 100 per cent sticking those medals in the bin," he said on ITV. "It's cheating. You're hearing nonsense about some ex-players saying, 'Oh well, they won on the pitch'. Because it was cheating! It was cheating going on."
Rooney's stance
De Gea has pushed for two more medals for the 2011-12 and 2017-18 seasons, but Rooney said on the Stick To United podcast: "I have heard Rio has come out saying about getting another Premier League medal... I wouldn't really feel comfortable accepting another Premier League medal, if I'm being honest."
"I don't think we deserve it, we didn't do enough that season to win the league. I think we were six or seven points clear with four or five games to go and we threw it away," he added.
Rooney also expressed sympathy for City players: "They're players, they're doing everything they can to try and win the Premier League title and in their mind they have done it, if those players have no understanding of what is going on above them, if that happened to me... I would be absolutely devastated."
"It might happen, they might take them [medals] away, but I wouldn't want it [a medal] because I don't think as a team we deserved it that year because obviously we didn't finish first. So when I see team-mates saying I want a medal', I'm happy with the five I've won. I wouldn't want this one. Should they get it stripped for what the owners have done? Yeah maybe, but I wouldn't feel comfortable accepting it."
