Wayne Rooney has claimed that Henrikh Mkhitaryan was never awarded "freedom" to play during his failed stint at Manchester United.

The Everton forward played alongside Mkhitaryan for a season at Old Trafford before returning to his boyhood club last summer.

In January, Arsenal sealed the signature of the Armenian international from United in a swap deal that resulted in Alexis Sanchez moving in the other direction.

During an appearance on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, Rooney said: "I saw it a lot in training, he is a quality player. I think at United he did not get the freedom he really wanted to perform like he did at [Borussia] Dortmund. I really do think he will kick on."

Mkhitaryan starred against Rooney's Everton by creating three assists in a 5-1 rout over the Toffees on Saturday.