Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has paid tribute to legendary attacking duo Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Red Devils were looking for David Beckham’s replacement when they signed a teenage Portuguese forward in 2003.
A year later, Ronaldo was joined by a young Englishman who had been tearing it apart on Merseyside with Everton. The duo would soon strike up a partnership, going on to appear 206 times together and combining for 26 goals.
They helped the Premier League giants reclaim their place as one of the best teams in the world and enjoyed tremendous success together. The partnership was ultimately broken in the summer of 2009 when Ronaldo left to join Real Madrid.
Rooney would stay for eight more years and eventually become United’s record goalscorer before leaving in 2017. Sir Alex has now spoken fondly about the two attackers who transformed into world-beaters under his watch.
The best in Europe at one time
Speaking to Sky Sports, Sir Alex insisted that Rooney and Ronaldo were the best in Europe at one point in time. He stated: “At that period, those two — I think — were the best in Europe. I really do. It was a fantastic period for us. We went on to win the European Cup, 2008 in Moscow.”
Rooney and Ronaldo both started the iconic 2008 Champions League final in Moscow against Chelsea. The Portuguese scored in the 26th minute, but Frank Lampard brought the Blues back into the game at the stroke of half-time.
The game eventually went into penalties, where Ronaldo famously missed his spot kick but United came out on top 6-5. A year later, the Red Devils were back in the final but were undone by Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona side.
That goal vs Bolton
Rooney and Ronaldo’s deadly combination was in full flow in the 2006/07 season, but one goal that stands out is the former’s strike against Bolton Wanderers in March 2007. Taking the ball from their own box, the duo kickstarted a devastating counterattack, playing one-twos across the length of the pitch.
In a breathtaking display of speed and precision, they appeared to go from one box to the other in less than 10 seconds before the Portuguese set up the Englishman to score. United won the league that season after a gap of three years.
Reminiscing about that goal, Sir Alex said: “[That a] wee squat guy from Liverpool, and a fresh young boy, six-foot-two kid from Portugal can combine like they did in that particular game is fantastic.”
“We sort of scuffed it clear, it went to Ronaldo, he passed it to Wayne, Wayne passed it back, [Ronaldo] passed it back. They were jigsaw-ing right up the pitch. They scored this fantastic goal — the way he chipped the goalkeeper. It was unbelievable!”
Final Thoughts
Ronaldo and Rooney gave fans a lot to cheer about during their time at Old Trafford. The Portuguese did return for a second stint at Old Trafford in 2021, but it did not live up to expectations. Perhaps the major ingredients – Sir Alex and Rooney – were missing!
Featured image by Shaun Botterill via Getty Images
