Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney lined up alongside each other in some of the best Manchester United teams ever seen.
The pair spent seven years together at Old Trafford between Wayne Rooney‘s record-breaking transfer in 2004 and Gary Neville‘s retirement in 2011.
They both eventually hung up their boots having carved their name into the history books as club legends.
Now, having both entered the world of punditry in their post-playing careers, they can sit and reminisce about the good old times at United.
Neville did just that on the latest episode of The Overlap, where he made a strong claim about Rooney and how he compares to other centre-forwards who have led the line for Manchester United.
Gary Neville makes strong Wayne Rooney claim
Neville has had the pleasure of sharing the pitch with some of United’s best strikers across his 19-year career.
However, he believes none of them come close to Rooney during his time at the club.
Speaking on The Overlap, he said “He [Rooney] was a sensational player. I don’t even hesitate – and even Man United fans disagree with this – Wayne Rooney was the best centre-forward I played with at Manchester United.
“No one could do what Wayne Rooney could do. On and off the ball, holding it up, beating a man, scoring goals, playing left and right, tackling, pressing – everything.
“There is no one that actually gets close to him as an all-round forward.
“I don’t even hesitate in naming him as the number one centre-forward. I’ve played with some great centre-forwards but he was a level [above].”
How Wayne Rooney compares to Manchester United greats
There is no doubt that Rooney is one of the best to ever wear a United shirt.
The club’s all-time top scorer rarely gets the credit he deserves for his incredible spell at Old Trafford.
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At times he carried the team on his shoulders and his versatility to play anywhere across the front line is something rarely seen in players of any generation.
Rooney deserves a seat right alongside the likes of Eric Cantona, Andy Cole, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Cristiano Ronaldo – and it is not that far-fetched that Neville put him at the top of the pile.