Manchester United and England icon Wayne Rooney singled out an overlooked aspect in one Red Devils legend’s playing style during their time together at Old Trafford.
Wayne Rooney had a remarkable impact in his prolific playing career and the former Manchester United captain is widely regarded as one of the best strikers of all time.
The ex-England and United striker first arrived at Old Trafford in 2004 after legendary former manager Sir Alex Ferguson signed him from Everton.
Rooney went on to become United’s all-time leading scorer after he eclipsed the record previously held by fellow Red Devils and England legend Sir Bobby Charlton.
The United legend lifted five Premier League titles, a Champions League, a Europa League, three League Cups and an FA Cup during his prolific spell at Old Trafford.
Rooney made his exit from United in 2017 and he returned to boyhood club Everton for a brief second spell before later playing for DC United and Derby County.
The former England and United skipper’s legendary playing career ended in 2021 and Rooney wasted no time entering the world of coaching and management.
READ MORE: Wayne Rooney didn’t think twice about best player he ever played with and best dribbler of all time, his verdict is clear
Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images
Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images
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What Wayne Rooney noticed from Man Utd legend Roy Keane on the pitch
Wayne Rooney caught Roy Keane towards the tail end of the legendary former Manchester United captain’s run at Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Roy Keane, who is considered one of the best captains of all time, was an inspirational leader for United and had a prolific impact at the Red Devils.
The 53-year-old Irishman famously captained Ferguson’s men to United’s iconic treble win in 1999, with Keane playing a key role in the Champions League run.
Keane’s relationship with iconic ex-United manager Ferguson later fractured and the Irish hardman was axed by the club in 2005 before he went on to sign for Celtic.
The United legend’s impressive no-nonsense approach and remarkable leadership skills often overshadow his exceptional ability as a linchpin midfielder.
Speaking to The Times, Rooney admitted that it “blew” him away when he saw how effective former teammate Keane was with passing the ball on the pitch.
“With Roy, I knew he knew he was a great footballer but until I played with him I didn’t realise how great,” he said in 2014.
“His passing was probably the best I’ve played with, in terms of getting it in to the forwards’ feet.
“I had associated him with someone who got round the pitch, making tackles, but it was his passing that blew me away.”
READ MORE: Wayne Rooney asked to name best finisher of all time, Man Utd legend’s pick is exactly what Roy Keane would have said
Kevin Kilbane’s ultimate compliment for former Republic of Ireland and Man Utd star Roy Keane as a midfielder
Kevin Kilbane played alongside Roy Keane for the Republic of Ireland and the former West Brom and Sunderland player paid an incredible tribute to the United legend.
The 48-year-old ex-Republic of Ireland defender insisted that Keane is the Premier League’s best midfielder of all time and raved about his passing ability.
“I think Roy is the best midfielder the Premier League has seen,” he told The Athletic in 2019.
“His ability to pass and get around the pitch was probably underrated.
“Manchester United played such open football at the time but Roy could sense danger. Nobody could control a game quite like him.
“With Ireland, he got the best out of others and was instrumental in getting us to the 2002 World Cup.
“You’d look at the opposition at the time — Portugal had Rui Costa and Luis Figo and Holland had Edgar Davids and Clarence Seedorf — but they were all kind of intimidated by Roy when they played against us.
“He’s certainly the best player I featured alongside, by quite some distance.”
Keane was a commanding box-to-box midfielder in his prime and the former Nottingham Forest star made 479 appearances for the Red Devils.