"He almost changed his style because of Cristiano Ronaldo scoring so many goals" - Rafael reveals how Wayne Rooney had to adapt at Manchester United

Former Manchester United full-back Rafael has applauded Wayne Rooney's impact on Cristiano Ronaldo's success during his first stint at Old Trafford.

Speaking in Wayne Barton's book 'Rooney: Teenage Kicks – The street footballer who ruled the world', Rafael was quoted as saying:

"Wayne and Cristiano were not similar players but their styles complemented and I would say each completed the other. I think Rooney did a lot, he almost changed his style because of Ronaldo scoring so many goals.

"Rooney kept scoring but he dropped back to create more and make more assists. He’s such an intelligent player. He could play midfield, on the wing, defensive midfield. He could even play right-back, I’m sure!"

Rafael has stated that Wayne Rooney's unselfish nature was the reason why Cristiano Ronaldo was able to score on a regular basis.

The 31-year-old full-back claimed Rooney was capable of playing in various positions due to his intelligence on the pitch.

Rafael also recalled Manchester United's goal against Arsenal in the 2009 Champions League semi-final. Ronaldo scored an excellent counter-attacking goal past Manuel Almunia to help the Red Devils win the tie 4-1 on aggregate.

Despite Cristiano Ronaldo scoring the goal, Rafael credited Rooney and Park Ji-Sung:

"I would add an important point. The people who matter, the people who understand, they don't forget. People who already appreciated Wayne. United supporters. His team-mates.

"You can include Ji-Sung Park as well. We all knew how crucial they were to that counter-attack. Football is like this – these days more than ever. They look at the goalscorer and he gets the attention.

"Rooney made a great pass. Without him, without Park, that goal doesn't exist. That's the truth of football – you need those other players. Even a player like Ronaldo can't do it all alone."

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Cristiano Ronaldo is still going strong for Manchester United

Cristiano Ronaldo re-signed for Manchester United in the summer of 2021. Despite now being 36 years old, the Portuguese superstar is still the club's leading goalscorer this season.

As things stand, Ronaldo has scored 14 goals and provided three assists in 23 appearances for the Red Devils across all competitions.

Cristiano Ronaldo's goals were vital for Manchester United to secure qualification to the knockout rounds of the UEFA Champions League. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner scored six goals in five group matches, including late winners against Villarreal and Atalanta.

Ronaldo also scored a late equalizer against Atalanta during the return fixture in Italy in a 2-2 draw.

Manchester United have now been drawn against Atletico Madrid in the Round of 16 of the competition.