Alex Ferguson not shocked by Rooney Ballon d'Or nod

Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson has said that he is not surprised that Wayne Rooney is the only English player to make the Ballon d'Or shortlist.

"It's not a shock, but it's interesting which players are involved," Ferguson said. "The fact there are so many Spanish-based players on the list tells you everything."

Rooney was named in the 23-man list yesterday amongst eight players from Barcelona including Lionel Messi, who has won the award for the last two years.