Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has criticized Cristiano Ronaldo and his supporters for their actions this season.
Former teammates for five years, Rooney hasn’t let his personal connection stop him from giving his honest take on the situation.
The all-time leading goalscorer for Manchester United and England currently manages in the US with DC United, but has still made sure to express his thoughts on his former club.
Speaking on TalkSport, Rooney said: “I think the things that Cristiano Ronaldo has done since the start of the season are not acceptable for Manchester United.
The former striker also added his disagreement with other former club legends who support the behavior of the Portuguese star, including Roy Keane.
Rooney said: “I’ve seen Roy Keane defend him, Roy wouldn’t have accepted him at all. It’s a distraction Manchester United don’t need.”
Ironically, Rooney was previously embroiled in his own saga of wanting out while at the Manchester club, as he was unhappy with the club’s unwillingness to invest in top quality players, but was eventually convinced to stay.
However, in Ronaldo’s case, his poor performances on the pitch mean there will be few at the club who will try to convince him to stay.
His involvement with Erik ten Hag largely only came during Anthony Martial’s absence, indicating the Dutch manager isn’t too keen on the former Ballon d’Or winner.
A departure in January could be possible, but the same problem arises as in the summer, since few clubs can pay Ronaldo’s salary and meet his expectations, and are really interested in his services.
The lack of depth in the team that has seen Ronaldo play often this season is also an issue for any January move, as a replacement would be needed due to Martial’s injury history and could be unlikely given the lack of willingness of the club hierarchy to spend.
But regardless of what the outcome will be in January, it has become clear to everyone, including Wayne Rooney, that Ronaldo’s time at the club is over and he must move on as soon as possible for the betterment of all parties.
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