Wayne Rooney has named a “frustrating” player as his worst teammate from his time at Manchester United.
Rooney reveals “worst” teammate from his Man Utd days
Rooney spent 13 full seasons at Old Trafford, establishing himself as a club legend by amassing a whopping 253 goals and 142 assists in 559 games, during which time Man United won five Premier League titles.
United’s ability to sustain such levels of success suggests Sir Alex Ferguson made very few mistakes in the transfer market, but the legendary manager did make a few errors, with Kleberson, who arrived from Atlético Paranaense in 2003, widely regarded as one of his worst signings.
The Brazilian made just 20 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils before being sold to Besiktas, with the midfielder joining the likes of Diego Forlán, Bebe and Mark Bosnich on the list of signings that just did not work out.
In fact, Rooney once told Alan Shearer just how angry he was about Kleberson getting ready to be brought on in his place against Newcastle United, saying: “I was p***** off. You can see it in my face. Then I saw Kleberson warming up on the touchline, ready to come on for me. I was even more p***** off that I was going to be taken off for him.”
Despite clearly not rating the midfielder, the 39-year-old once named a different former Man United star as his worst teammate, saying:
“My worst team-mate – there are a lot more than you’d probably think. On the pitch, the toughest one was Nani. He was frustrating to play with.”
Nani’s record at Man Utd
In many ways, it seems a little harsh that Nani was namechecked as Rooney’s worst teammate, given that the winger’s goal and assist record across his first five campaigns at Old Trafford is actually very impressive.
Season
Premier League appearances
Goal contributions
2007-08
26
11
2008-09
13
4
2009-10
23
12
2010-11
33
26
2011-12
29
18
In fairness, the 112-time Portugal international went off the boil towards the end of his time at Man United, failing to score across the 2013-14 campaign before signing for Sporting CP, but he enjoyed a successful career at Old Trafford, winning four Premier League titles.
The Portuguese winger also scored some iconic goals for the Red Devils, finding the back of the net 41 times and celebrating with his trademark back-flip celebration.
In fairness, the now 41-year-old’s longevity is probably why Rooney named him his worst teammate, as it is easy to forget players like Kleberson and Bosnich, who were shipped out fairly quickly after failing to adapt.
Ironically, nowadays Nani would probably be among the best players in the Man United squad, with Ruben Amorim’s side making a disastrous start to the Premier League campaign, collecting just four points from their opening four games and losing 3-0 to Manchester City.
