'We were complete opposites,': Wayne Rooney reflects on bond with Cristiano Ronaldo at Man United

Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney are undeniably Manchester United legends who left an indelible mark on the club's history. Their exceptional talent and contributions during their time at the club set them apart as iconic figures in the football world. Ronaldo's goal-scoring prowess and Rooney's versatility and leadership made them key players in United's success, solidifying their status as revered figures among the fans. However, both of their names aren’t taken together in a positive manner owing to some Wayne Rooney’s remarks on the Portuguese legend. 

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Wayne Rooney speaks on his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo during Manchester United days 

Wayne Rooney has disclosed that he used to call Cristiano Ronaldo ugly in jest of his former teammate. Additionally, he said, Ronaldo used to chat to himself while staring in the mirror.

In an interview on the Football Daily podcast of BBC Radio 5 Live, Rooney disclosed that he and Ronaldo would conspire to pull practical jokes on Sir Alex Ferguson, their manager. Said he:

“We had a really good relationship, but we were the complete opposites. It was funny. Ronaldo was such a good character. Some of the stuff he used to do, with laughing and messing around, was similar to Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He would look into the mirror telling himself he is beautiful.”

"Then there is me, who is the complete opposite - I did not have his looks! I was always telling him he was ugly. I used to say, 'no you're not' - messing around - but it used to wind him up. The two of us would always play pranks on the manager and I would pick him up at times to take him to training or to the hotel," 

There were 205 matches in which Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo appeared together while playing for Manchester United. Ronaldo assisted Rooney 14 times in those games, and between them they scored 25 goals for the team.

Wayne Rooney condemned Cristiano Ronaldo's contentious November 2022 interview with Piers Morgan. Speaking with CNN, Rooney expressed his dismay at what Ronaldo had said during the interview.

Cristiano Ronaldo was not happy with Wayne Rooney and according to Eurosport, Ronaldo commented on the English star: 

"He (Rooney) finished his career in his 30s. I'm still playing at a high level; I'm not going to say that I'm looking better than him, which is true.”

Wayne Rooney, on the other hand had expressed himself on CR7’s situation at Manchester United in 2022,  Rooney said: 

"What I've said is age comes to all of us, and Cristiano is obviously feeling that and he's finding it hard to deal with that. Obviously he's done an interview that's gone global. Bit strange, some of the comments are strange in there but I'm sure Manchester United will deal with it once they've seen the full interview and they'll take whatever action they need to take."

Days before the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Manchester United officially terminated Cristiano Ronaldo. He later joined Al-Nassr and has been at his best levels ever since and will now be leading Portugal in the UEFA Euro 2024.