Wigan Athletic striker Grant Holt is backing Wayne Rooney's bid to leave Manchester United.
Rooney will be missing when Wigan face United in the Community Shield.
Holt, 32, said: "I know what Wayne is going through and I have sympathy for him.
"If he wants to go, he should be allowed to leave, as long as the money is right for all parties.
"I know he signed a contract and was happy to do so at the time. But he is obviously not happy and things have obviously gone on behind the scenes which we don't know about. So, the best thing is to cut their ties and move on.
"There is a lot of talk from fans about players' loyalty to their clubs, but what about clubs' loyalty to players.'
"If Wayne was having a nightmare and wasn't scoring all those goals for United, would they have offered him a new four-year contract?
"Even if a player does have a long contract, they can find themselves being shipped out when things aren't going well, no matter how happy or settled they are. It is the same if a new manager comes in and your face doesn't fit.
"As for managers, we see all the time how quickly they can be sacked if they have a bad run of results. A manager might sign a three-year contract but last only three months. Where is the loyalty there?
"You have got to look at both sides, not just one, and I am sure if United sell him, they will get a substantial figure."
