From playing alongside Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs at Manchester United to teaming up with Karim Benzema and Sergio Ramos at Real Madrid, Portuguese icon Cristiano Ronaldo has always been surrounded by elite teammates while competing for the biggest trophies in Europe.
Considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, Ronaldo is still going strong at the age of 40, having helped Portugal win the UEFA Nations League this year and finished as the Saudi Pro League’s top scorer for 2024/25, netting 25 goals in 40 appearances for Al-Nassr.
With a career of that magnitude, Ronaldo probably does not have too many regrets over his 22-year journey in professional football, but he once revealed what he missed most from his first stint at Man United, which lasted six seasons from 2003 to 2009.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner said he misses playing with a former England star who ‘helped him a lot’ during his early years at Old Trafford and hailed him as a ‘fantastic team player’.
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Cristiano Ronaldo Praises Wayne Rooney
‘He’s a fantastic team player’
wayne rooney alex ferguson
Ronaldo, as quoted by TNT Sports, revealed that he misses playing alongside former Man United teammate Wayne Rooney and was full of praise for the England international:
“The power of Wayne Rooney is his mentality and his strength - he never stops.
“He’s a fantastic team player and he scores goals. We won every trophy - the Premier League, the Carling Cup, the Champions League
“He’s a fantastic boy and he helped me a lot when he came to join us in Manchester. I miss playing with him. Maybe in the future we will play together again.
"I have to say congratulations to him. I know how hard it is to be number one."
Rooney, who joined Man United in 2004, a year later than Ronaldo, played alongside the Portuguese forward for five seasons at Old Trafford and enjoyed tremendous success.
The pair made 205 appearances together under Sir Alex Ferguson, winning three Premier League titles, four domestic cups and the Champions League in 2008.
Ronaldo also won the Premier League Golden Boot in 2008 while playing alongside Rooney, who finished third in assists that season.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest English footballers ever, Rooney spent a total of 13 seasons at Old Trafford, where he became Man United’s all-time leading goalscorer with 253 goals in 559 appearances.
The Liverpool-born ace won every major domestic honour during his time with the Red Devils and was known for his fierce competitiveness and ability to score from almost anywhere.
Rooney left Old Trafford in the summer of 2017 and had brief spells with Everton, D.C. United and Derby before retiring in 2021.
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Statistics courtesy ofTransfermarkt. Correct as of 01 -0 7 -25.