Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has named Wayne Rooney as the greatest forward in the club’s history, overlooking former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo in the discussion. Neville, who shared the dressing room with several elite attackers during his time at Old Trafford, made the remarks while speaking with fellow ex-United star Rio Ferdinand on Ferdinand’s YouTube programme, Rio Meets.
The former England right-back praised Rooney’s all-round abilities, describing him as the most complete forward he had witnessed at Manchester United.
“He [Rooney] is the best Wazza. He was the best forward I ever saw at Manchester United,” Neville said.
Highlighting Rooney’s versatility, Neville compared him to some of the finest players to have represented the club.
“He was a mixture of Mark Hughes, Van Nistelrooy, Eric Cantona, Paul Scholes in the half-turn, and Dwight Yorke; he was a mixture of all the best players that were amazing,” he added.
Neville further explained that Rooney possessed a rare combination of technical quality, intelligence, and work rate.
“He could do all the things that they could do. He could drop in; he could pass; he could finish; he could head, left-foot, or right-foot; and he could sprint back and defend."
