“When he played with Cristiano Ronaldo, all the work was done by him” - When Zlatan Ibrahimovic praised ex-Manchester United star
Zlatan Ibrahimovic once made a bold statement about Cristiano Ronaldo's time at Manchester United. The Swede claimed that Wayne Rooney put in all the hard work while the Portuguese superstar swindled all the glory.
Ronaldo arrived at Old Trafford from Sporting CP in 2003, a year before Rooney's switch to Manchester from Everton. The pair enjoyed five years together at Manchester United, winning three Premier League titles and the Champions League before Ronaldo departed for Real Madrid in 2009.
While Ronaldo and Rooney amassed great success during their time together at Old Trafford, Ibrahimovic believes the Englishman deserved more credit than the Portuguese ace for his work ethic.
In an interview with BBC Sport back in 2015, the former Manchester United star said (via Sport Bible):
"When he played with Cristiano Ronaldo, all the work was done by Rooney. These great players have their moments over one to three years. But to continue over five years, for ten years, the way Wayne Rooney has done is not easy. It's pressure every day playing for a big team."
Discussing the same during another interview for a documentary about Rooney, Ibrahimovic reiterated his claims.
"When Cristiano Ronaldo played at United, Rooney did all the work but Cristiano took all the glory. He was the one who was getting the goals. Rooney ran, fought, and made far more of a team sacrifice than the player from Madeira," he said.
Ronaldo made 206 appearances alongside Rooney for the Red Devils, combining to score 25 times.
When Manchester United legend Paul Scholes chose between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Manchester United legend Paul Scholes once snubbed Cristiano Ronaldo and picked Lionel Messi as the greatest player of all time. The former midfielder highlighted the Argentine's superiority as an all-round footballer.
Messi and Ronaldo have shattered multiple records and won a host of accolades as they soared to new heights throughout their careers. The pair have a whopping 13 Ballon d'Or awards between them and are the top two goalscorers of all time.
Many have weighed in on the never-ending GOAT debate and former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes once revealed his choice as well. Speaking about the Barcelona legend back in 2019, he said (via ESPN):
“Watching Messi against Tottenham at Wembley (in 2019) made me think about the Messi and (Cristiano) Ronaldo debate again. Messi, but Ronaldo is brilliant."
"Ronaldo is sensational at what he does, with pace and power. He scores; he takes free-kicks. But as an all-round footballer, Messi – wow, his passing – has absolutely everything.”