The battle lines were drawn earlier this week as the first snippets of Cristiano Ronaldo’s explosive interview with Piers Morgan were released. The Manchester United striker aimed his ire at a number of targets. Manager Erik ten Hag, ex-interim boss Ralf Rangnick and the club’s owners, the Glazers, were just some of those he went after. But there was a more incongruous name amongst the list; ex-teammate Wayne Rooney.
Ronaldo took issue with the current DC United manager, saying “I don’t know why he criticises me so badly.” The Portugal captain also swiped at the fact Rooney has retired from playing, while he is still active at 38 years of age. Soon enough, the Ronaldo vs Rooney debate was thrown into the modern day colosseum of social media. The response was interesting and varied.
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The always-impartial contingent with bios that simply say “Cristiano Ronaldo” or “CR7 is my GOAT” of course landed on the side of the Portuguese. Meanwhile, more seasoned United watchers, or even those just sick of Ronaldo’s performative histrionics, leaned towards Rooney.
If the debate was being held over who was the greater player, then it’s fair to say Ronaldo wins every time. His peers are Lionel Messi, Pele, Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff. Few others belong in the discussion alongside the former Real Madrid star. But if the question is who is the greater United legend, then Ronaldo’s army of worshippers have this one all wrong. Rooney did far more for the Red Devils than ‘CR7’ ever did.
There is little doubt that Ronaldo is the greatest player ever to pull on a Manchester United shirt. But unlike Rooney, Eric Cantona, George Best, Bobby Charlton, Paul Scholes or David Beckham; Ronaldo’s peak years were not spent at the club. Once the former Sporting CP star had collected a Ballon d’Or and a Champions League, he sought out arguably loftier heights at Real Madrid. It was the Bernabeu that saw the very best of Ronaldo, not Old Trafford.
While Real Madrid was the destination of Ronaldo’s glow-up, United was the place where Rooney became one of the greats. His early knockings were at Everton, where Clive Tyldesley demanded we “remember the name”. Like Los Blancos was for Ronaldo, United was Rooney’s big move.
It was at the Theatre of Dreams where Rooney conjured his finest work. Where he bicycled his way into the history books against Manchester City. Where he remains the club’s all-time top goalscorer. Where he racked up five Premier League titles. Where he would serve as captain. Picture Ronaldo in your mind and he’s wearing white. Picture Rooney and he’s wearing red.
Those who oppose this view will point to Rooney handing in a transfer request to try and engineer a move to Manchester City. Shredding their credibility to pieces, some Ronaldo hardcores have claimed their idol would never do the same. Except he handed in a transfer request this past summer and also tried to move to City before United swooped in the summer of 2021. The fact of the matter is, neither man ever actually played for United’s rivals. To judge one as emerging with more credit than the other on this particular topic is ridiculous.
Thus it comes down to what they did on the pitch in the famous red, white and black. Both were amongst the club’s finest ever players at their peak. But in terms of legendary status at Old Trafford, there is only one winner. Ronaldo’s United career hit its real peak over the last three seasons of his first spell. He was a key man in numerous triumphs. But the more enduring work was done by Rooney.
One man is synonymous with the Red Devils, their top scorer and a player that spanned eras. Through the finest of the Ferguson years to the choppy waters that followed, Rooney was there as a constant. Ronaldo might have been playing even better football than the Croxteth lad, but he was doing it in Spain. At Manchester United, Rooney will always reign supreme.
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