Jose Mourinho: Wayne Rooney is my captain, I have space for Juan Mata

Mourinho immediately put to bed the idea of Rooney continuing to feature in a deeper role in midfield for United in his reign, but he has now reassured the forward that he will remain his captain.

The new United boss spoke of 'trusting Rooney a lot' and insisted that he would continue both as the 'manager's captain' and the 'players' captain'.

Sacked England boss Roy Hodgson played Rooney in midfield during the ill-fated Euros campaign over the summer, but Mourinho believes Rooney still has a bright future in the role that he intends to give him at Old Trafford.

"I am quite surprised with so many question marks around this guy," the United boss said at the team hotel in Shanghai.

"I know that at the national team level you have this capacity of trying to make things complicated for yourself, so what happened around him in the summer was not a surprise for me.

"But in my club we are not going to have that. He is the club captain, he is the manager's captain, he is the players' captain.

"He knows that he has to work hard, he knows that but I think that is nothing new in his career. Everything he got I see nobody offer him, he had to fight for it. With me it is not going to be different."

Juan Mata's position has come under particular scrutiny due to the fact that Mourinho sold him as Chelsea manager in January 2014, but the Portuguese was insistent that the Spaniard has a future at Old Trafford with the arduous fixture list ahead of the club this season.

"Well again it is a strange question because I don't understand why he doesn't have a future," Mourinho said.

"It was his decision and only his decision and I don't like players that want to leave. That's why I think every player has a price because if one day a player wants to leave it is because he does not want to be with us.

"If the player doesn't want to be with us, goodbye - be happy where you want to go. Juan at our previous club was not so happy because he was not my first choice at that time. He wanted to play every game.

"He had a fantastic offer from a big club like Man United, he wanted to leave. My previous club had a great offer, we thought that was financially very much acceptable. We were not with this old-fashioned idea of 'I don't sell players to my direct competitors inside of my own country'. We sold him to Man United and done. Nothing else.

"In this moment I arrive, he's here, he works hard. He knows that I know he is a good player and he has space in the squad. But again until the 31st of August the market is open for every one of my players that is not happy.

"But, to be fair, I think he is. I think he is happy and I am not expecting him to ask to leave. I am expecting him to do what he is doing now, which is to fight for a place.

Rooney: It is surely no surprise that Mourinho wants to keep Rooney as his captain given that he attempted to sign the forward while at Chelsea and has frequently spoken of his admiration for him. However, having dashed Rooney's midfield prospects in his first press conference as United boss and following an inauspicious showing at the Euros, it does feel important that he re-emphasises his importance to the club and to his plans moving forward. By referring to him as the "manager's captain and the players' captain", there could not really be any stronger reassurance for the 30-year-old, regardless of the role he ends up occupying.

Mata: Mourinho has taken the opportunity to insist that he was not the one pushing for Mata to leave Chelsea for United and, if that is true, it is an important thing to point out given the perception that he did not fancy the player. However, it is hardly a ringing endorsement provided by the Portuguese, simply saying of Mata "he is a good player and he has space in the squad". It would not come as a surprise to anyone if Mata does actually end up moving on before the season begins, but in the meantime Mourinho is likely going to use him in the Europa League and cup competitions.