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Wayne Rooney might be the boss now - but he was once savagely reminded by former manager Sir Alex Ferguson exactly who was in charge at Manchester United. The ex-striker once saw a request to be joined at his former club by German star Mesut Ozil denied by Ferguson in no uncertain terms. The Plymouth Argyle boss can make all the big decisions about his club nowadays as he looks to lead them on a successful campaign in the Championship. But that was not always the case - and ex-Red Devils boss Ferguson was quick to make Rooney well aware of that. 2014 World Cup winner Ozil announced his retirement from football back in March 2023 and while the tail end of his Arsenal career had not been all pleasant, he garnered the good wishes of many Gunners fans. But had Rooney got his way, it could have been Man United fans bidding farewell to a former star instead. Ozil enjoyed a hugely successful career and is considered one of the most talented midfielders and goal-creators of his generation. The 34-year-old was part of the Germany squad that knocked England out of the 2010 World Cup, and caught the eye of Rooney during the match. Ozil's efforts impressed the Man United star so much that Rooney called for Ferguson to bring him to Old Trafford. However, the legendary boss did not wish to listen to his plea as he revealed in his autobiography which he released back in 2013: "Wayne said that we should have pursued Mesut Ozil, who had joined Real Madrid from Werder Bremen. "My reply was that it was none of his business who we should have gone for. I told him it was his job to play and perform. My job was to pick the correct teams. And so far I had been getting it right. "Well, he was not on our radar at the time. Ozil when at Werder Bremen played wide right, then towards the end of the season played him off the front. "He went to South Africa and did very well. But wasn't on our radar. "But I explained to Wayne and we get most of our decisions right. " Ozil went on to make 159 appearances for Madrid, and amassed a superb 27 goals and 81 assists during his spell at Los Blancos. Such performances attracted the interest of Arsenal, who signed him on deadline day in the summer of 2013. It would prove to be a successful move for him as he scored 44 goals and provided 79 assists in 254 appearances. He also won the FA Cup four times and lifted the World Cup with Germany during his spell, before leaving for Fenerbahce in 2021 and then Istanbul Basaksehir. Meanwhile, Rooney starred for Man United for many more years until he left to join Everton in 2017. And it later emerged that his appreciation of Ozil was very much reciprocated back in 2021 as the German took to Instagram to congratulate Rooney on a stellar career when the news broke that he was hanging up his boots. "Congrats on your incredible football career @waynerooney! ," Ozil wrote. "You will always be remembered as one of the best in English football history. "Good luck on your new chapter. " And since retiring from football back in 2021, Rooney has taken on various managerial roles - most recently taking charge of Plymouth Argyle at the beginning of the 2023/24 season. 2013/14 - 40 appearances, 7 goals 2014/15 - 32 appearances, 5 goals 2015/16 - 45 appearances, 8 goals 2016/17 - 44 appearances, 12 goals 2017/18 - 35 appearances, 5 goals 2018/19 - 35 appearances, 6 goals 2019/20 - 23 appearances, 1 goal His spells in charge at Derby County, D. C. United and Birmingham City have all ended poorly so the 38-year-old will be determined to prove himself in the Championship this season. And Rooney will now no doubt understand exactly how his former boss felt as he attempts to navigate the running of his team. The ex-striker will certainly be hoping he can finally translate his success as a player into success as a manager, as he picked up a total of 16 trophies with Man United. Of course, suggesting whether the club might have had greater success had Ozil joined United instead is the stuff of dreams - but United were crowned Premier League champions twice without him. Then again, Man United have not won the top flight title since the season Ozil joined Arsenal and one cannot help wondering if things might have been different if he had. However, we all know how his spell at Arsenal ended, so perhaps Ferguson got this one right after all. This service is provided on talk SPORT Ltd's Terms of Use in accordance with our Privacy Policy.