Wayne Rooney, a Manchester United icon, recently revealed that he believes Lionel Messi was more talented than him as a youth player. Rooney, who is one of the greatest English players and holds the title of Manchester United’s all-time top scorer, shared his thoughts during an interview with talkSPORT. When asked to remain silent until a more talented youth player than himself was mentioned, Rooney stayed quiet as names like Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, and Cristiano Ronaldo were listed. However, when Messi’s name came up, Rooney acknowledged that Messi was indeed more talented.
Rooney, who played alongside Ronaldo at Manchester United for five seasons, shared the pitch with the Portuguese star for a combined total of 14,852 minutes across 206 matches. Together, they contributed to 25 goals and helped the team secure three Premier League titles and one UEFA Champions League trophy.
Earlier this year, Rooney also weighed in on the debate between Messi and Ronaldo regarding who is the greatest player of all time. During an interview on “The Overlap,” the former England international said he believes Messi is the best ever. While acknowledging the greatness of both players, Rooney expressed his personal preference for Messi, stating that he appreciates Messi’s flair, which gives him an edge.
As their legendary careers near their end, Ronaldo, now 39, plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia following an underwhelming return to Manchester United. Meanwhile, Messi, 37, currently plays for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer (MLS) and recently helped the team secure the Supporters’ Shield. Wayne Rooney has since retired from playing and is now managing Plymouth Argyle in the Championship, guiding them to three wins in their last five matches.
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