Wayne Rooney has moved to end speculation about a rift with his former Manchester United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, stressing that he has nothing but respect for the Portuguese star despite once calling Lionel Messi the better player.
Speaking on Rio Ferdinand’s podcast, Rooney explained that his preference for Messi comes down to playing style rather than personal bias.
“I absolutely love Messi, love watching him play,” Rooney said. “That was the only reason — because I think Messi had a little bit more in terms of how he played, taking players on and whatever. Ronaldo’s a killer, and people think because I’ve said Messi is better than Ronaldo, I don’t like him or speak down on him.”
Rooney and Ronaldo shared a trophy-laden partnership at Manchester United between 2004 and 2009, winning three Premier League titles and the 2008 Champions League together under Sir Alex Ferguson.
The former England captain also reflected on his painful memories of facing Messi’s Barcelona, who beat United in two Champions League finals in 2009 and 2011.
