Football news: Wayne Rooney – I’d always choose Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo
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ByEurosport
Updated 20/04/2020 at 12:59 GMT
Wayne Rooney has said that although his former team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best players of all time, he would also choose Lionel Messi over him.
Lionel Messi und Cristiano Ronaldo
Image credit: Getty Images
In an article in the Sunday Times, Rooney explained his admiration for the pair and how they’d changed the game’s relationship with goalscoring records.
"Ronaldo is ruthless in the box, a killer, but Messi will torture you before he kills you," Rooney said.
With Messi you just get the impression he is having more fun, those two have completely changed the game in terms of goalscoring numbers, and I don't think they'll ever be matched.
Rooney and Ronaldo played together for five years at Manchester United, winning three league titles and a Champions League during that time. However, the English striker says that if he had a choice he would opt to play with Messi over his friend.
"Despite my friendship with Cristiano, I'd always choose Messi,” Rooney said.
“It's the same reason I loved watching Xavi and Scholes, I can't remember seeing Messi score when he has hit the ball as hard as he could, he just rolls them in."
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At one stage of his career Rooney was discussed at a similar level as Messi and Ronaldo. But the pair have hit new heights and Rooney says one of the reasons if that he is not a "natural goalscorer".
In his Times column, Rooney said:
I'm going to be honest - and this might surprise you - but I'm not a natural goalscorer. I was never a Gary Lineker or a Ruud van Nistelrooy; I never looked at myself that way. I hold the goal records for Manchester United and England and am very proud about that - yet there have been better No 9s than me.
"How did I become a record-breaker if I wasn't a natural scorer? Time. I played for United for 13 years, England for 15 years. I had time to break those records - and looking back I should have scored more."
Rooney is England's all-time top goalscorer with 53 goals in 120 caps. However, Rooney believes that current England centre-forward Harry Kane, who is on 32 goals in 45 matches, will overhaul that record.
"I don't think it will take long for Harry Kane to claim my England record and it would be a proud moment for me," Rooney said. "I've never been a selfish player and it would be great for England for Harry to get there. Bobby Charlton had to wait 50 years - I hope it's not so long for me."
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