Everton turn down bids for Rooney
 |  Wayne Rooney is still an Everton player - for the time being |
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LIVERPOOL, England -- Everton have rejected bids from English Premier League rivals Manchester United and Newcastle United for England striker Wayne Rooney, the club have confirmed.
Newcastle made a second bid for the 18-year-old on Thursday after offering about £20 million ($35.94m) to sign the 18-year-old earlier this week.
"Newcastle have submitted an increased offer for Wayne Rooney, one which has been turned down," Everton spokesman Ian Ross said.
Manchester United confirmed to the stock exchange earlier on Thursday that they had made an offer for Rooney. The transfer window closes next Tuesday.
Everton manager David Moyes had previously said he had no intention of parting with Rooney.
However, his tone changed on Wednesday when he indicated the striker could be sold for a fee above the £24 million Chelsea paid last month for Ivory Coast forward Didier Drogba from Olympique Marseille.
Manchester United are looking for a striker after selling Uruguayan Diego Forlan to Spanish club Villarreal and losing Norwegian Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to injury.
Dutch international Ruud van Nistelrooy is sidelined through injury along with France forward Louis Saha, leaving England international Alan Smith as their only fit experienced forward.
Rooney has come through the ranks at Everton since joining the Merseyside club as a nine-year-old.
The youngster first hit the headlines in October 2002 by ending Arsenal's 30-match unbeaten run with a superb goal as a 16-year-old substitute.
The teenager was soon a first-team regular and became the youngest England international when he played in a friendly defeat by Australia in February 2003 at the age of 17.
Rooney followed up by setting another record in September of that year as England's youngest ever scorer in a Euro 2004 qualifying win over Macedonia.
He sparkled at Euro 2004, scoring four goals before limping out of England's quarter-final defeat by Portugal after breaking a bone in his foot, an injury that is still keeping him on the sidelines.
Speculation over his Everton future has been fuelled by Rooney's continued failure to agree a new five-year contract worth an estimated £50,000 a week.
