First it was Milan midfielder David Beckham speaking after his side’s 4 – nil defeat at Old Trafford:
”He’s such an exceptional talent,” Beckham told ITV1 of Rooney. ”I think without a doubt he’s one of the best, if not the best, player at the moment along with [Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Lionel] Messi.” (Soccernet.com)
And then Milan manager Leonardo:
“I think this year Rooney can grow up even more,”Leonardo said following his side’s 7-2 aggregate defeat. “He’s the complete player; strong, fast and he works hard.”
“He does a lot of incredible movement and he’s playing in a system that is perfect for him. United play at such speed and often on the counter-attack. That system, with Rooney, is incredible.” (Soccernet.com)
It’s high praise coming from such big figures in football and from the confines of such a storied club – a club that boast a history of many great players and European triumphs.
It just goes to show you how far Rooney has come.
And it shows you just how close he is to becoming the clear best player in the world.
Close – but what will it take in the end? Will leading United to the Champions League title be enough? Or must he do that and then out-perform Messi in the World Cup?
We’ll see what the fans of the world think about Rooney in the coming months.
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