"Cristiano Ronaldo probably wouldn't do it" - Rooney highlights aspect where Manchester United stars trusted him more than Ronaldo
Wayne Rooney has highlighted one area in which his former Manchester United teammates trusted him more than Cristiano Ronaldo. The Englishman revealed that he felt more entrusted with defensive responsibilities than his Portuguese counterpart.
It goes without mentioning that Rooney and Ronaldo flourished alongside each other at United before the five-time Ballon d'Or winner left to join Real Madrid in 2009.
Being the more decisive player, the Portuguese usually enjoyed most of the plaudits, but there's one thing Rooney was much better at, which earned him the trust of his colleagues - defence.
On the Stick to Football podcast, the Englishman explained how the team trusted him because of his penchant to drop deep and help the backline.
"He (Cristiano Ronaldo) would win you the game," Rooney began. "From a defensive point of view, there was just more trust (in me).
"Obviously, if I played out wide, I would do my job, I would get back and help out defensively where Cristiano probably wouldn’t do it, and then he’s a threat (going forward). He pins their full-back, back.
The Englishman added that he could've scored more goals at Manchester United had he wanted to be a bit more selfish but he always prioritised the team winning.
"I wanted to play in my position (as a centre forward), but that’s where the manager probably got it right in terms of the team winning and being successful.
"We probably needed that. I wasn’t really interested in individual awards. I always wanted to win with the team. That was always my goal."
Rooney continued:
"I wouldn’t say I was a natural goalscorer. I just wanted to get on the ball. If I was more selfish, I potentially could have scored a lot more goals, but I just wanted to play. The number of times I had midfielders telling me to go away or, 'I’ll play it through to you. You need to stay up front.'"
Wayne Rooney bagged a club record 253 goals and 145 assists for Manchester United in 559 appearances across competitions in 13 seasons. Ronaldo, meanwhile, bagged 145 goals and 64 assists in 346 games across two spells spanning seven and a half seasons.
What are Manchester United and Cristiano Ronaldo up to?
Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo will hope to help Al Nassr claim the Saudi Pro League title this season. They occupy the second position in the standings with 49 points from 20 games. He will also have his eyes on the AFC Champions League where they're in the Round of 16.
Manchester United, meanwhile, will hope to overturn their slow start to the season They sit in sixth spot in the league and have a chance to claim silverware, as they are in the FA Cup fifth round.
Up next, Erik ten Hag's side lock horns with Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday (February 24). Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr play the second leg of their AFC Champions League Round of 16 clash with Al Feiha on Wednesday (February 21).