Current Ballon’Dor holder Lionel Messi hails English skipper, Wayne Rooney. The embattled striker has come under fire for his recent performance for The Red Devils. Barcelona player, Lionel Messi says Rooney is “the great English player of his generation.”
Lionel Messi sings the praises of Manchester United striker and adds that there’s a great mutual respect between the two. He was asked about Rooney as there are doubts over his selection for Euro 2016, as there are lots of in-form young players. Lionel Messi threw his weight behind the English. He urged for his participation in France in the summer.
Messi told ShortList: “There’s been a great deal of respect between myself and Wayne Rooney. For me, he is the greatest English player of the generation.”
Head coach of England, Roy Hodgson has also thrown his weight behind the 30-year old player. He said: “It would take a lot before I say to Wayne Rooney after his captaincy over two years, after 19 games and two defeats, that because I am being pushed to make a brave, bold decision and show what a fantastic forward-thinking and adventurous coach I am, I am leaving you out. It would take an awful lot. Wayne Rooney is the captain and has done extremely well.”
“Most teams, if they are any good, don’t throw their captain out the first time a young player comes on the team and scores a goal unless the captain, for some reason, is playing so badly or doing so badly there is a clear reason for doing so. Rooney has never given us any reasons to do that and I expect him to get back to fitness, I expect him to start playing well again and I expect him to be on the plane to France,” Roy added.
The striker himself recently granted an interview. He asked that people be careful with calls for young and inexperienced players to be given the opportunity. He asked for a balance between the vigor and experience in the team.