Bruno Guimaraes names Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney as one of 4 PL icons he would like to have played with
Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes has named Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney as one of his four Premier League idols.
Guimaraes has been impressing in the English top flight since joining Newcastle from Lyon in January 2022 for a reported £33.3 million. The Brazilian midfielder has posted 11 goals and nine assists in 86 games across competitions.
The 26-year-old is quickly becoming a Magpies hero in his own right. He named Tyneside icon Alan Shearer as well as Rooney in his list of four Premier League heroes. He told the Premier League's YouTube channel:
"I loved Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney. But, as a Newcastle player I have to choose Alan Shearer. If I played with him I would have more assists."
Shearer is the Premier League's all-time top goalscorer, with 260 goals in 441 games. He was a trademark target man who could score any type of goal. The England icon won the title once during his career, and the Golden Boot on three occasions.
However, many argue that Rooney is the greatest player to grace English football. The former England captain wowed fans during eight illustrious years with Manchester United, winning the title on five occasions.
Wayne Rooney posted 253 goals and 145 assists in 559 games across competitions for the Red Devils. He also won the UEFA Champions League, the Europa League, the FA Cup and four League Cups.
The Englishman displayed versatility throughout his career, dropping out of his favored No.9 position. He also played on the wing and further back in midfield during the latter stages of his playing days.
Alan Shearer paid tribute to Manchester United icon Wayne Rooney after his PL Hall of Fame induction
Wayne Rooney eclipsed Shearer as England's all-time top goalscorer back in September 2015. The Manchester United icon finished his international career with 53 goals and 21 assists in 120 caps.
The Premier League acknowledged Rooney's stunning achievements in the English top flight by inducting him into the Hall of Fame in 2022. This led to several of his peers giving glowing verdicts of the legendary striker.
Shearer was one of them and he talked up the former Everton's captain's abilities and versatility. He said (via The Derby Telegraph):
"He could do almost everything. If you had played him at centre-half, right-back, left-back or centre-midfield, he would have stood out because that's how good he was."
Rooney scored many memorable goals during his career but the one that most often springs to mind came in 2011. He scored an overhead kick in a 2-1 win against Manchester City as Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United went on to win the title.
Shearer touched on this:
"Rooney loved scoring special goals. His overhead kick against Manchester City just encapsulated the brilliance of what he could do and what he could achieve in the biggest games when it mattered most."
The Englishman has since stepped into management coaching the likes of Derby County, DC United, and most recently Birmingham City. He's gone on record to say the end goal after getting his coaching badges was to eventually become Manchester United manager.