"He would have been a star in Spain": Ronaldo on former teammate
Luis Torres
Dailysports's expert
The legendary Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo revealed which English footballer he would have liked to see in the ranks of Real Madrid during his time with the "Los Blancos".
According to Ronaldo, one of those who could have played at a top level in the Spanish championship was his former Manchester United teammate — Wayne Rooney.
"He would have been a true sensation in La Liga," Ronaldo said in 2009. "Wayne has all the necessary qualities: technique, perseverance, football intelligence. He has already shown how good he is in England, and I'm sure he would have looked just as bright in Spain."
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At that time, Ronaldo had just moved to Madrid for a record 94 million euros and saw Rooney as an excellent candidate to strengthen Manuel Pellegrini's team, despite the forward's commitment to his native England.
"I understand that it is difficult for him to leave Manchester, he is happy there, and he is from Liverpool. But in football, anything is possible," added the Portuguese.
Interestingly, Lionel Messi shares this opinion. In 2015, the Argentine also noted Rooney's uniqueness, calling him "a player who is born once in a generation."
