“I would have fitted into it as well” – Wayne Rooney claims 4 Manchester United legends including him would get into current Man City team
Wayne Rooney believes three Manchester United legends along with himself would have fit into the current Manchester City starting XI. He claims that Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic can walk into Pep Guardiola's side.
Manchester City are on a roll this season and could end the season with a treble. They lead the Premier League table by a point with a game in hand, face Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League semifinal and then take on Manchester United for the FA Cup in the final.
Rooney has admitted that the majority of the Red Devils' 2008 squad would not make it to Manchester City's starting XI, but believes 4 would walk in.
He told The Times:
"Could the 2008 ManUtd team have competed with Man City? Head to head, we'd have had a good chance but over a 38-game season they would have had the edge. I think we'd have been similar to Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool, able to beat them in one-off games but usually just a bit behind them in the final league table."
He added:
"There were players in our team who would have got into this City side. Paul Scholes would have been perfect, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic too. I believe I would have fitted into it as well – and I would have loved to play with Kevin De Bruyne and Haaland."
The Red Devils under Sir Alex Ferguson had won the UEFA Champions League, FA Cup and the Premier League title in the 2007/08 season.
Manchester City up there were Manchester United's 1999 squad
Wayne Rooney has admitted that Manchester City will have to be put alongside Manchester United's 1999 squad if they win the UEFA Champions League. He believes that they are better than the 2008 squad as they have dominated the opponents more.
He added:
"If they win the Champions League and the title, much as it pains me, I think you'd have to put City up there with United's 1999 treble winners as the best Premier League team of all time. Our 2008 United team were also a great side but the way City dominate opponents and make it look so easy, so often – while constantly fighting on all fronts – is beyond what we did."
Manchester United were fighting for the treble at the turn of the year, but are now fighting to remain in the Top 4, but have the Carabao Cup under their belt.