“He failed in terms of that” – Nemanja Vidic explains what Wayne Rooney should have learned from Cristiano Ronaldo
Manchester United legend Nemanja Vidic pointed out that Wayne Rooney should have learned from Cristiano Ronaldo's determination and work ethic.
Vidic stated the same while speaking on Rio Ferdinand's FIVE YouTube channel. The Serbian central defender claimed that instead of enjoying life, Ronaldo worked relentlessly to achieve his dreams early in his career. Hence, the Portuguese ace deserves every bit of what he has today.
Vidic said (via SportBible):
"You see Cristiano on Instagram, it's all flashy stuff but he deserves it. At his age, 18, 19, to 21 to have that mentality to work hard, not go out, fight for your dream, the way he did it he deserves everything he got. For me, Wayne Rooney, he failed in terms of that."
Vidic added:
"He is the one I think, if he was closer in mentality as Cristiano Ronaldo he can achieve much more. Definitely, that is my feeling. Physically he was amazing, technically as well. He is a great team-mate on the pitch, him and Carlos Tevez, as a defender you want them on the pitch, they worked hard for the team."
Further speaking about the pure talent that Ronaldo and Rooney possessed, Vidic said:
"In one moment they are similar, the same. What brought Cristiano Ronaldo much higher was his mentality to change, to work hard, to improve, to have goals. I'm not saying Wayne didn't have a mentality, but he played pure on his talent. He didn't invest in his body, invest in extra trainings, the physical side."
Wayne Rooney is a legend in his own right. He is Manchester United's all-time record goalscorer with 253 goals and won 17 trophies in his senior career.
However, in terms of overall achievements, Ronaldo undeniably edges his former teammate.
When will Cristiano Ronaldo return to action?
Cristiano Ronaldo will return to action on April 28 when Al-Nassr take on Al-Raed at home in the Saudi Pro League. Al-Nassr are currently riding a two-game losing streak across competitions. They suffered a 2-0 defeat against Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League. Dinko Jelicic's side were then eliminated from the semi-finals of the King Cup of Champions after a 1-0 defeat to Al-Wehda.
Al-Alami haven't found the back of the net in those two games either, meaning Ronaldo is on a dry patch as well. The Portuguese, however, has been among the goals for Al-Nassr this campaign.
Since making his debut for the club in January, Ronaldo has already scored 11 goals and has provided three assists in 14 matches. Fans will hope there are many more goals to come this season.