Marcus Rashford chooses Cristiano Ronaldo and De Gea in best Manchester United 5-a-side team strictly for away games
Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford has chosen club legends Cristiano Ronaldo and David De Gea in his dream 5-a-side away team. Ronaldo played at Old Trafford for seven and a half seasons, while De Gea did so for 12.
Rashford is coming off a lean 2023-24 campaign, contributing just eight goals and five assists in 43 games across competitions after a career-best 30-goal 2022-23 campaign.
Ahead of the start of the new season, the England international made his picks his dream five-a-side United away team. At goal, he went with De Gea, who played for United between 2011 and 2023. About the centre-backs, Rashford said (as per Chuboi):
"I'm going to have two centre-halves. I would take Rio Ferdinand and (Nemanja) Vidic.
In midfield, he went with Paul Scholes, just behind Ronaldo and club record scorer Wayne Rooney up front.
Ferdinand and Vidic struck up a formidable partnership at the back under the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson in the 2000s, while Rooney ended his Old Trafford career with 253 goals in 559 games between 2004 and 2017.
How Cristiano Ronaldo fared at Manchester United?
Cristiano Ronaldo enjoyed a decent spell at Manchester United, especially during his first stint between 2003 and 2009 before leaving for Real Madrid. The 39-year-old struck 145 times and provided 64 assists in 343 games across competitions.
His second spell - between 2021 and 2022 -was less fruitful, with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner managing 27 goals and five assists in 54 games across competitions.
Ronaldo fell out of favour with manager Erik ten Hag and eventually left by mutual consent following an explosive interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan, where he had a go at the club and the boss.
While his second spell ended without any silverware, Ronaldo achieved success during his first spell. Notably, he won three straight Premier League titles (2007-09) and the first of five UEFA Champions League titles, in the 2007-08 season. Ronaldo's first of five Ballon d'Or awards came in 2008 while he was at Old Trafford.