Wayne Rooney Has Named his Greatest 11 in Football History

Wayne Rooney, who was born in Liverpool, is unquestionably one of the best line-leaders of his generation. His career is both enviable and incredibly spectacular, especially his 559-game spell at the heyday of Manchester United’s dominance.

Few could have predicted his level of talent, particularly during his storied time at Old Trafford, but he became England’s most sought-after star in the mid-2000s.

From a young, undeveloped kid to one of the greatest England strikers in football history, he played with and against some of the greatest players in history and, in an interview with Mail Online, he selected his ideal starting lineup.

Defence and Keeper
Rio Ferdinand, Cafu, Paolo Maldini, Ashley Cole, and Edwin van der Sar

Edwin van der Sar, a player Rooney relied on 220 times at Old Trafford, is back in goal for him. In addition to being a diligent goalie, the Dutchman played a significant role as a Red Devils captain.

And when he thought back to his playing days for England, he selected Ashley Cole, a hero for Chelsea and Arsenal who is considered by many to be among the best left-backs of all time. Rio Ferdinand, one of Rooney’s picks at the centre of the defensive line, is also well-known.

In actuality, few players are more qualified to wax poetic about the English defender-turned-pundit than the two, who played together for Manchester United and England on 349 separate occasions. He works beside Paolo Maldini, the wavy-haired maestro.

Due to his Italian ancestry, Maldini possesses some of the best defensive skills in the world. He is also regarded as Rossoneri royalty because he only played for one club and made 901 appearances for AC Milan between 1985 and 2009.

Cafu, a former player for AS Roma and AC Milan who is arguably most known for his international exploits with Brazil, completes a fairly impressive back line that would pose even the finest Number 9s a variety of problems.

Defence and Keeper

Place

Name

Famous clubs

Games

Goals given up

Sheets of cleanliness

Van der Sar, Edwin

Juventus, Manchester United, and Ajax

821

718

368

Place

Name

Prominent cubs

Games

Objectives

Helps

Ashley Cole

Chelsea and Arsenal

701

Maldini Paolo

Milan AC

901

Ferdinand, Rio

Manchester United and West Ham United

701

13.

11.

Cafu

AC Milan and AS Roma

451

The midfield
Lionel Messi, Paul Scholes, Zinedine Zidane, and Cristiano Ronaldo

Despite their somewhat public arguments over the years, Cristiano Ronaldo was a lock to start on the left side of the midfield. In the later years of his career, the Portuguese superstar switched to center-forward, but his best days were spent on the wing.

Zinedine Zidane, who played for Juventus and Real Madrid, and Paul Scholes, a former Red Devils teammate, made up Rooney’s two-man engine room in the middle of the pitch, which is undoubtedly one of the most crucial sections of the game.

Zidane, who is widely regarded as one of the best French football players of all time, had his defining moment in 2002 when he scored that goal against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League final (you can watch it again below). However, there are many memorable instances throughout his career.

On this day, 2002:

Zinedine Zidane scored *that* volley…

One of the greatest ever goals in a Champions League final 🙌 pic.twitter.com/XXowuodSBO

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 15, 2018

Lionel Messi, whose skill has been deceiving opponents worldwide for years, is on the right of his four-man midfield. Some people consider the delicate Argentine to be the best of all time, and he is currently enjoying his final season with Inter Miami.

The midfield

Place

Name

Famous clubs

Games

Objectives

Helps

Ronaldo Cristiano

Juventus, Manchester United, and Real Madrid

1046

787

242

Scholes, Paul

United Manchester

716

155

Zidane Zinedine

Juventus and Real Madrid

690

125

142

Lionel Messi

Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona

920

749

359

Attack Thierry Henry and Ronaldo Nazario

Now for Ronaldo Nazario and Thierry Henry, a two-man strike force that would intimidate the best defenders to ever grace the beautiful game. The former’s career was unfortunately marred by injury, despite winning the Ballon d’Or in 1997 and 2002.

Even though the Brazilian has extraordinary skill, it is impossible to think what he may have accomplished in a world free of injuries. However, this is by no means an attempt to minimise his current career. At his essence, he was a unique striker who could do it all: score, create, and cause chaos.

6.
Henry, who is considered to be among the fastest players to ever play professionally, is most remembered for his time with Arsenal in north London. He scored a tonne of goals and left defenders in their wake with easy ease.

The Everton academy product had the (dis)pleasure of facing his selection eleven times, so it’s safe to assume he knows what he’s talking about, even though Rooney hesitated a little when weighing his alternatives before finally settling on the erratic Frenchman.

Attack

Place

Name

Famous clubs

Games

Objectives

Helps

Ronaldo Nazario

Barcelona, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid

482

310

Henry Thierry