The duo formed one of the most devastating duets that Cled Trafford has ever known, propeling United to glory in the Premier League and in the Champions League. However, behind the scenes, differences of opinion and priorities were already perceptible.
The selfishness that characterized Ronaldo
For Rooney, this selfishness is what made Ronaldo unique. If he proclaimed himself to be a team player, he recognized that the incessant quest for Ronaldo's personal glory had helped to propel him to the rank of legend. It was not a criticism without context. Ronaldo's individual triumph has allowed him to win five gold balloons, chain the goals' records and acquire the reputation of being one of the most ruthless scorers in the history of football.
Did Rooney adapt to Ronaldo? During a conversation with Rio Ferdinand, Rooney admitted to having often had to adapt his game to that of the star. Asked about the question of whether he had attenuated certain aspects of his game to allow CR7 to shine, Rooney admitted that yes, but insisted that his reasons were still focused on the team.
“I never cared about the Ballon d'Or”
“” I never thought I should make sacrifices. Yes, I had the impression and I had the impression at times, but I wanted to win, I wanted to win the Premier League, the Champions League, “he said. “Cristiano Ronaldo has something in him that I don't think anyone who has. He has a state of mind and a mentality that far exceeds everything I have seen in football. »» He then drawn up a striking contrast between their approaches: “My state of mind and my mentality are not at this level, but they are at a level where I want to win. I never care about the golden ball or any individual trophy. For me, it's nothing, I don't care. I wanted to win with you (Rio), with my teammates. Of course, Cristiano wanted to win it all with the team, but he had this selfish mentality that wanted everything. I didn't have that. ”
The latest doubts about their relationship were dissipated in 2022 when Ronaldo clearly said that he and Rooney had never been real friends. Questioned by Piers Morgan to find out if he had stayed close to Rooney or Gary Neville, Ronaldo replied coldly: “ They are not my friends, they are colleagues, “he said. “We play together, they don't come, we never dine together. »»
