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Manchester - Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson believes Wayne Rooney will always be "a traitor" in the eyes of Everton fans who can't forgive his 2004 decision to quit his boyhood club.
Speaking ahead of United's trip to Goodison Park on Saturday, Ferguson said that the England striker will never be forgotten for leaving for Old Trafford in a £25 million deal seven years ago.
"I don't think the players will goad him, there has not been any history of that when we have played Everton, he seems to get on well with their players," said Ferguson.
"But you know what fans are like, he's a traitor as far as they are concerned and that's never going to change.
"He's had mixed success going to Everton. He's scored a couple of goals in previous games and gets booed as normal.
"He got booked in one game and I took him off because he'd been booked and there was no way I was going to give the referee an opportunity to send him off.
"That's where the hype around the ground in terms of him getting booed every time he makes a challenge comes into it. He's had mixed fortunes there but he's scored a couple of goals and done well in some of the games and hopefully that will be the case on Saturday."
