Rooney: Ronaldo's the best
01 Mar 2007 - 08:54:30
England striker Wayne Rooney has hailed his Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo as the best player in the world at the moment.
The 22-year-old Portuguese winger had been linked with a move away from England after his part in Rooney's sending-off in the World Cup quarter-final last summer.
However, Ronaldo has stayed put and found the best form of his career, netting 16 goals for the Red Devils this term as they lead the race for the Premiership title.
Rooney told Sport magazine: "I'm just delighted that he's playing for us, because at this moment in time he is the best player in the world - not just the best young player, but the best player full stop.
"There's certainly no jealousy on my part over that. You want to play with the best players, and it's great to be in the same team as Cristiano.
"He's been brilliant, especially coming back from the World Cup when it was very difficult for him with all the media attention.
"But he's come through that and he's been absolutely fantastic this season. Hopefully that will continue and he'll help us bring back some silverware this season."
Ronaldo joined United in the summer of 2003 for just over £12million from Sporting Lisbon and continues to be linked with big-money approaches from Real Madrid and Barcelona.