Wayne Rooney has called out his former teammate and Manchester United legend Roy Keane over his continuous defense of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo had endured a difficult campaign this season, staying on the bench in most of the matches and coming on as a substitute.
This is one of the incidents that showed Erik Ten Hag and Ronaldo’s relationship is on the rocks, as Ronaldo keeps seeking the exit door just to play in the Champions League with any club available.
Ireland former international Roy Keane is one of the pundits who has defended the former Ballon d’Or winner, saying that his absence is frustrating.
Note that during Roy Keane’s playing days, he was known to be a strict captain and a leader. He is the kind of player that pushed Manchester United players to success in 1999.
Hence, Rooney had to hit back at Roy Keane, saying that if Keane was still the captain of Manchester United, he wouldn’t have stood for Ronaldo’s behavior.
He also claimed that Ronaldo’s behavior is a distraction when Manchester United is trying to rebuild after all these years of failure and poor performances.
The DC Manager believes that Ronaldo could still end up being a great asset under Erik Ten Hag, but first he needs to understand his role under the Dutch manager.
Rooney also made it known that Ronaldo should just focus on his work and be ready to play whenever the manager wants him. The manager is hoping to win trophies and would not allow any form of distraction.
Recently, Cristiano Ronaldo ignored Gary Neville before a game at Old Trafford after the ex-footballer turned pundit asked United to sell the Portuguese star.
Hence, if Wayne Rooney was a pundit, Ronaldo would certainly snub him if the DC United coach comes anywhere near Old Trafford this weekend.
Recall that Cristiano Ronaldo was banned from attending first-team training after leaving Old Trafford before the end of United’s win over Tottenham. Due to the ban, he missed Manchester United’s match against Chelsea, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
He fought his way back into the team and was part of the Manchester United squad that played against West Ham and Real Sociedad. He captained Manchester United against Aston Villa.
He missed Manchester United’s match against Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup after Erik Ten Hag stated that he was sick.
Despite all his troubles at Old Trafford, Ronaldo was included in the Portugal’s 2022 Qatar World Cup roster. The superstar will want to lead his team to its first World Cup triumph.
Manchester United qualified for the next round of the Carabao Cup on Thursday without Cristiano Ronaldo who is said to be ill. The Red Devils will play against Burnley in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
All things being equal, Ronaldo will be in contention to play against Fulham in the Premier League on November 12, 2022.
