Wayne Rooney says he would not feel comfortable accepting a retrospective Premier League medal if Manchester City are stripped of their titles — and he does not believe the titles should be taken away at all. The former Manchester United captain made the comments on the Stick to Football podcast this week.

“I wouldn’t feel comfortable accepting one,” Rooney said, arguing his United sides “didn’t do enough that season to win the league.” He expressed sympathy for City’s players, who he said had nothing to do with the alleged off-field wrongdoing, and suggested the club could even face relegation as punishment.

The remarks come after a seismic week for English football. The Athletic and Reuters first reported on September 25 that an independent commission had found City guilty of 114 of 115 financial charges covering 2009-10 to 2017-18, including claims that owner funding from Abu Dhabi was disguised as sponsorship worth more than £900 million. The Premier League confirmed the verdict on September 29. City are expected to appeal, with sanctions still to be decided.