Gary Neville said yesterday that he believes Wayne Rooney’s decision to stay on at Old Trafford’s Manchester United is the best possible outcome and that the whole issue should be “put to bed”.

Neville who yesterday made his 600th appearance for Manchester United in their 2-1 win against Stoke wrote in his Sunday Times column that “When our top players sign long-term contracts it obviously gives us a boost. Wayne is staying and now we look forward to winning trophies with him in our team.

“The main thing is that after a difficult week the best outcome was reached for all parties.”

He is also convinced that the loyal fans of Manchester United will not hold a grudge.  “He has apologized to the fans and everyone else connected with the club so we have to put it to bed now.

“While there will always be fallout from an incident like this, as soon as we get back to playing football and Wayne gets back on the pitch it will all be forgotten about.

“The fans have obviously been watching it very closely. While the statement attributed to Wayne last Wednesday didn’t go down very well, we all make mistakes in our lives and we’ve all done things we regret. United fans will accept that.

“He has always given 100% when he has pulled on a United shirt, and that is the overriding factor. No one can doubt that he loves playing football for this club and I have no doubt the fans will support him through the rest of his career here.”

Rooney is currently resting in Dubai following an ankle injury. He could be back playing for the Red Devils by November 10 in the Manchester Derby.