'No other choice': Rooney weighs in on Ronaldo's Man Utd departure, calls it a 'shame'

English football legend Wayne Rooney revealed his take on his former club Manchester United’s announcement about parting ways with Portuguese great Cristiano Ronaldo. United informed about their decision to mutually part ways with the 37-year-old on Tuesday, a move which was inevitable after the footballer’s bombshell interview with Piers Morgan took the Internet by storm. Ronaldo claimed he was 'betrayed' by the Premier League giants while saying he lost respect for Erik ten Hag after the manager tried to 'force' his exit. 

While Rooney was earlier known to be a friend of Ronaldo, the United legend had made headlines for criticising the star forward this year, especially after the Portuguese national refused to come in as a substitute against Tottenham Hotspur. However, commenting on Ronaldo’s exit from the club, Rooney said the footballer had no other choice left. At the same time, Rooney avoided speaking about the five-time Ballon d’Or winner in a negative manner, as pointed out by Ronaldo during his explosive interview.

Wayne Rooney is sad to see Cristiano Ronaldo exiting Manchester United like this

Speaking on the live broadcast for Jio Cinema, the official streaming partner of FIFA World Cup 2022, the former English footballer said, “I think it is sad. It is sad to see a player like Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the best players of all time, to see it end this way at Manchester United," Rooney began. After seeing how he attacked the club, there was no option. I wish him all the best wherever he goes next." While Jio Cinema is officially streaming the FIFA World Cup in India, Sports18 is telecasting the tournament in the country. 

'He would have seen Messi score today': Rooney on Ronaldo

Rooney further suggested that record club football goal-scorer would have figured out what was coming after the interview. Following the interview fiasco, the 37-year-old Ronaldo is now set to make his fifth World Cup appearance for Portugal in Qatar. Meanwhile, the DC United manager went on to add that Ronaldo wants to be the best and is mentally focused on winning games for Portugal. He also referred to Lionel Messi’s goal against Saudi Arabia during Argentina's 1-2 loss in the Group C match. 

“He would have seen Messi score today and he will be thinking, I need to score. It is sad to see what's happened between him and Manchester United. Where he is at now is probably his best place, with the Portugal team and teammates around him. And they will be focused on their game,” Rooney said. This comes after Ronaldo suggested Rooney might be jealous of him because the latter retired, while he still continues to play at the highest level.