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– Former Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney has said that the club must let Cristiano Ronaldo leave if they are to build a successful team for the future under new manager Erik ten Hag.
– The 37-year-old Ronaldo, who re-signed for United from Juventus last season, reportedly wants a move away from Old Trafford after the team’s failure to qualify for the Champions League.
– “I think United should let Cristiano Ronaldo go. It’s not that Ronaldo can’t play in a Ten Hag team. He can play in any team,” Rooney, who now manages Major League Soccer side DC United, wrote in a column for the Times.
Also Read: Ten Hag slams Ronaldo for ‘unacceptable behaviour’
– “Ronny will always score you goals. But my personal view is that United aren’t ready to challenge for the title now, so the aim has to be to build a team that can win the league in the next three to four years, and you have to plan for that.”
🗣 Wayne Rooney: “…so the aim has to be to build a team that can win the league in the next three to four years, and you have to plan for that.” [@TimesSport]
— UtdDistrict 🔰 (@UtdDistrict) August 6, 2022
– United kick off their Premier League campaign at home to Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday and Ronaldo was named on the bench.
– He netted 24 times in all competitions last season, emerging as one of the few bright sparks in an otherwise forgettable campaign for United that saw them finish sixth.
– Ten Hag this week said he was happy to have a “top striker” like Ronaldo in the squad and looking forward to working with him.
– Rooney, who is United’s all-time leading scorer, added he was hopeful that Ten Hag would be able to establish a clear playing style at his former club.
– “I couldn’t work out what they were trying to do in terms of game plan, or see any patterns of play,” Rooney said of last season.
– “I think one of the big things you’ll see from Ten Hag is him really trying to put his stamp on the playing identity.”
