Lionel Messi Reveals Wayne Rooney Admiration, Ignores Cristiano Ronaldo Rivalry
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi believes Manchester United's Wayne Rooney "has exceptional quality" and could thrive in La Liga.
The Argentinian superstar, who chatted about fellow players with ShortList (h/t Hamish Mackay of the Mirror), also suggests the footballing press has concocted a nonexistent "rivalry" between him and Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
"There is no rivalry," Messi said, per Mackay. "It's something the media invented. We both want to do well for our clubs, it is not Messi vs. Ronaldo, it never has been."
Both players continue to excel for their clubs, dominating the goalscoring charts in La Liga and the Champions League. Ronaldo notched 48 domestic division goals during the 2014-15 season, landing himself the 2015 Golden Shoe to follow on from January's Ballon d'Or. Messi struck 43 goals in La Liga, playing a pivotal role in Barca's second treble in six years.
Both racked up 10 in the Champions League, joining Blaugrana forward Neymar atop the competition's scorers chart. No player other than Messi or Ronaldo have won the Ballon d'Or since 2007, when Kaka managed it.
At the time of writing, Oddschecker lists Messi as 1-10 to win next year's top individual accolade, with Ronaldo (8-1) and Neymar (18-1) the next in line.
Messi believes Rooney could provide competition for La Liga's top players and named the Englishman when asked about players who could star in Spain:
"If you look at the technical ability of a player like Wayne Rooney, he is as good as any player in Europe," said Messi, per Mackay. "Rooney has exceptional quality. Not just great technical ability, but also works very hard for his team. I'm sure Manchester United will never want to let him leave, though."
Rooney had his technical ability thoroughly examined during the recently concluded campaign. United boss Louis van Gaal opted to play him in central midfield for much of the season despite his best qualities excelling up front.
The Englishman is an excellent long-passer of the ball, but he has a tendency to lose concentration when playing more intricate football. He completed 84.7 percent of his passes throughout '14-'15, averaging 5.2 long balls per Premier League match, recorded by WhoScored.com. Rooney's efficiency would increase if he sharpened his first touch, which often sees him fail to cushion passes coming his way.
Although powerful on the ball, Rooney's seasonal stats indicate he failed more dribbles than he completed. WhoScored suggests he was dispossessed 1.9 times per match, completing 1.2 dribbles.
The 29-year-old is a physical, burly workman who is suited to the combativeness of the Premier League. He isn't methodical enough to excel at Barcelona, but he could fulfil Karim Benzema's central striker's role at Real Madrid. However, it's perhaps Diego Simeone who would get the best out of him at Atletico Madrid.
As proved recently, Rooney works best when he's allowed to roam up top. He thrusts United forward, latching onto pacey through balls and galloping beyond the opposition's defence. Simeone loves a striker who can defend from the front—think Mario Mandzukic or Diego Costa—highlighted by him identifying Juventus hitman Carlos Tevez as an "ideal signing" for the Rojiblancos, per Veronica Brunati of AS.
Rooney, like his old team-mates Tevez and Ronaldo, could no doubt perform admirably away from England. However, his natural doggedness is best suited to playing in the Premier League.
Although one of England's most technically gifted players, this means little on the continent, where Rooney's inconsistencies with possession at his feet would be amplified.
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