April 08, (THEWILL) – Wayne Rooney has shrugged off Cristiano Ronaldo’s reaction to criticism of his old Manchester United team-mate, asking who would not be jealous of his accomplishments and “six packs.”
Working as a pundit for Sky Sports earlier this week, the former England captain said Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford had not worked out as planned – despite a few stand-out moments.
However, Ronaldo posted a picture on social media of his appearance on Monday Night Football, and replied with a comment accusing Rooney of being “jealous” of him.
Now, the Derby boss has responded by saying that, that is probably the case for virtually everyone in the game, saying: “There’s probably not a football player on the planet that isn’t jealous of Cristiano.
“The career he’s had, the trophies he’s won, the money he’s earned … the six-pack, his body. I think every player, bar probably Lionel Messi, is jealous of Cristiano.”
Rooney did not hold back in his assessment of Ronaldo’s return to United last summer when working on the Sky Sports show, saying the club needs to focus on “younger, hungry players” and that Ronaldo does not provide more than goals.
Despite the fact that Ronaldo is United’s top scorer this season, Rooney retains the club’s all-time scoring record – and he has spoken out against claims that Ajax head coach Erik ten Haag is close to become the club’s new manager, saying he is the wrong choice.
Given his experience with Tottenham Hotspur, the former Red Devils’ striker believes Mauricio Pochettino of Paris Saint-Germain would be a superior choice.
“I think Pochettino has done it in the Premier League, he knows the Premier League. At Tottenham he brought in a lot of young players, and at Southampton as well he brought a lot of young players through, so if I’m choosing between one of them two, that’s who I’d choose.
“I’d go with Pochettino and I’d give him time I think. For managers now they need time to come in and actually make their print on the club and on the team and if they give him time I think he’ll do well.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
