KEY POINTS

  • Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo played together at Man Utd
  • Rooney's fine stint with Man Utd ended in 2017
  • Anthony Martial is currently out of action due an injury

Manchester United forward Anthony Martial has heaped praise on Wayne Rooney, terming him the best he has played with.

Martial played with Rooney at Manchester United for two years before the latter left the Red Devils in 2017. While Martial was not part of Manchester United during Ronaldo's first stint with the club, the two are now teammates at Old Trafford.

The 26-year-old has singled out Ronaldo for his work ethic.

"He's super humble – and what a hard worker. We often speak when we are at the gym in the morning before going to training and I would watch what he was doing. That's only logical, it's Cristiano Ronaldo," Martial told France Football, talkSport reported.

However, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is not the best soccer teammate Martial has had at Manchester United. Martial, who has been a part of the Red Devils since 2015, called Rooney a "monster" and a role model.

"We have spoken about being genuine and so I can speak about Wayne Rooney. He's the best player I have played with. He's always playing for the team, always at 100%, with no fuss. A monster. And a model as a footballer," added Martial in the same interview.

Wayne Rooney enjoyed a glittering playing career at Manchester United
Wayne Rooney enjoyed a glittering playing career at Manchester United AFP / Oli SCARFF

After falling down in the pecking order, Martial was loaned off to Sevilla for the second half of the 2021-22 season. However, the Frenchman is back in Manchester and has revived his form under new boss Erik ten Hag.

After missing out on the opening two league games due to a hamstring injury, Martial came off the bench in Manchester United's home game against Liverpool and provided an assist in his side's 2-1 victory. However, injuries have halted his run as Martial is once again out of action after picking up an Achilles issue. He has already missed five games and it is still unclear when he'll return to the squad.

Having lost the first two games of the 2022-23 Premier League, Manchester United have now recorded four straight wins in the league. However, they kickstarted their Europa League campaign last week with a 1-0 loss against Real Sociedad.