Former Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney has cast doubt on the quality of modern defenders, insisting that today’s centre-backs are “nowhere near” the level of the iconic players he faced during his illustrious career.
Speaking on the latest episode of The Wayne Rooney Show podcast, the 39-year-old reflected on the challenges of playing against elite defenders during his 19-year senior career — especially in the Champions League era when Manchester United regularly battled Europe’s biggest clubs.
Rooney on the Decline of Defending Quality
Rooney, who remains United’s all-time leading goalscorer, did not hold back when comparing the current generation to past greats.
“In this current age, the centre-backs are nowhere near as good as the ones I played against,” he said, according to BBC Sport.
The former England captain believes leadership and communication key traits of successful defenders are not as common among today’s stars.
The Best of Today: Saliba and Gabriel
Despite his criticism, Rooney singled out Arsenal duo William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães as the standout partnership in the Premier League right now.
“Saliba and Gabriel complement each other really well. You can see them leading and talking, and that is what you need — talkers and leaders at centre-back,” he explained.
Still, Rooney admitted he would not place them on the same level as the legendary defenders he faced in the past.
Praise for Ferdinand and Vidic
Looking back, Rooney highlighted Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidić his former Manchester United teammates as two of the greatest centre-backs he ever played with or against.
Both, he said, would comfortably make his list of the top five defenders of all time.
