'No one can have careers like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi', says Wayne Rooney on Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe's future

In a free-wheeling conversation on Sports18, the former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney emphasized that there is no one replacing what Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have achieved in their careers.

"(Erling) Haaland and (Kylian) Mbappé, of course, the next two, at this moment of time, they’re obviously better than Messi and Ronaldo. But for them to emulate the career that Messi and Ronaldo have had I can’t see it like, I can’t see," Rooney says.

"What Messi and Ronaldo have done is very unique in the world of football. For Messi and Ronaldo to do it in the same time in the same league for a long time, I don’t think we’ll see that again," Rooney explains.

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney said the club has found it difficult to replace Sir Alex Ferguson. "I feel with Ten Hag that they are on a good step and they gradually can go back to what it was of the old and it would be difficult of course, you can’t replace one of the, if not the greatest manager of all time," said Rooney, who recently appeared as an expert on Viacom18 Sports’ record-breaking FIFA World Cup presentation.

Rooney says Manchester United have been trying to find that solution and they’ve always invested and they have always brought players in.

"I think they’ve gone through a transition and it maybe lasted a lot longer than what we all thought," says the all-time highest goal-scorer for Manchester United.

The former English player who now is a manager in the U.S. rated England’s national coach Gareth Southgate highly.

"Gareth is doing a great job of being flexible with the players. He’s promoting a lot of youth, a lot of players in those from youth ultimately are on the 21-member team as well," Rooney points.

When asked how he would like to coach if the England job comes to him, the 37-year old said, "You never know one day in the future if it’s a possibility, but at this moment, my priority would be on being a club manager."