Reds faithful will back skipper Roo

DROPPED England captain Wayne Rooney will receive "the respect he deserves" back at Manchester United, according to Jose Mourinho.

The 30-year-old striker returned to club duty earlier this week following an international break where he was booed by fans at Wembley three days before interim Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate left the country's all-time record scorer out of his XI in Slovenia.

Mourinho is set to do likewise against Liverpool tonight, but the United manager insists Rooney can rely on the backing of the Old Trafford faithful after certain sections of the England support turned on him against Malta.

"He was not booed by Man United fans," Mourinho said.

"To be honest, the last match when he went to the warm-up I was feeling Old Trafford was behind him and immediately supporting him during the warm-up before he came on against Stoke.

"I think at Man United he feels at home, at Man United he feels the respect he deserves. Not at Anfield, obviously, but he knows that here he is respected."

Such receptions will not be forthcoming at Anfield, where Rooney scored the winner in the league last year, given the United skipper's ties with the blue half of Merseyside.

Mourinho is also assured of a frosty welcome after the rivalry his old club Chelsea shared with Liverpool during his time in west London, and any ill feeling towards the Portuguese will not have dissipated since he took up his new post across the M62.

"For me, to play Liverpool is to play against a big club," he added. "In Madrid I wanted to play against Barcelona, against Atletico, against Valencia.

"In Chelsea I wanted to play against Man United, Liverpool, Arsenal, all the big clubs in the country.

"Now in Man United it's the same. I love to play against the big opponents and Liverpool is a big opponent."