Nemanja Vidic, a former player for Manchester United, criticized Wayne Rooney's work ethic in contrast to Cristiano Ronaldo.
In 2004, a year after Ronaldo arrived from Sporting CP, Rooney joined from Everton, ushering in a new era at Old Trafford.
Following his strong performances for England at Euro 2004, Rooney was considered to be the more talented player at the moment, despite the fact that Ronaldo had also had a breakthrough tournament with Portugal.
But during the 2006–2007 campaign, Ronaldo outperformed him, becoming United's talisman and ultimately winning an £80 million transfer to Real Madrid in 2009.
After stints with Everton, D.C. United, and Derby, Rooney's United career came to an end in 2017 and he retired three years later. While Ronaldo won his first Ballon d'Or in 2008, he went on to win four more Champions League championships after leaving United.
Despite Rooney's accomplishments, Vidic feels the erstwhile teenage phenom fell short of Ronaldo's work ethic, which was essential to the latter's growth.
"You see all the shiny stuff that Cristiano has on Instagram, but he deserves it. Vidic said on Rio Ferdinand's FIVE YouTube channel, "At his age, 18, 19, or 21, to have the mentality to work hard, not go out, and battle for your ambition, the way he accomplished it, he deserves everything he achieved.
"For me, Wayne Rooney, he fell short in that regard. He is the one who, in my opinion, could do much more if he shared Cristiano Ronaldo's approach. That is very definitely how I feel.
He was superb technically and physically. As a defender, you want him and Carlos Tevez on the field because they both put in a lot of effort for the club.
"For a split second, they resemble and are the same. Cristiano Ronaldo's willingness to adapt, put in the effort to get better, and set goals is what propelled him to new heights.
"Wayne relied solely on his talent, but that's not to suggest he didn't have a mentality. He made no investments in his physical well-being, extra training, or the physical side.
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