"No other player made me feel like that" - Rio Ferdinand names Manchester United star who had more 'immediate impact' than Cristiano Ronaldo

Former Manchester United centre-back Rio Ferdinand has named Wayne Rooney as one player who had the best immediate impact at Old Trafford. He added that no other player has left him more stunned than the forward in his entire career.

During a chat with Rooney on his YouTube podcast channel, Ferdinand revealed the striker's first impression. He also commended the attacker for scoring a debut hat-trick in Manchester United's 6-2 win over Fenerbahce in the UCL 2004-05 season.

He said (via SPORTbible):

"No other player in my whole career made us feel like this, You played the game against Fenerbahce, you scored the hat-trick, scored a couple of great goals. Ryan Giggs probably has about seven Premier Leagues at this time and you told him to step away from the free-kick because you were taking it. I remember being in the changing room afterwards, looking around at some of the guys like Ruud van Nistelrooy, even Giggsy. Just [saying] 'look at who we've got! We've got a superstar. He's like an alien."

Wayne Rooney joined the Red Devils for a reported £25 million deal from Everton in August 2004. He scored 17 goals and made five others in 43 appearances in his debut season at Old Trafford.

His dominant start subsequently made him an important player for Sir Alex Ferguson. The forward went on to score 253 goals in 559 games, surpassing Sir Bobby Charlton (249) as Manchester United's all-time scorer in his 13-year stint. He also won five Premier League titles, the 2008 UCL trophy, among others, at United.

"I will do what I need to help the team" - Manchester United new signing Matheus Cunha

Manchester United v Leeds United - Pre-Season Friendly - Source: Getty

Matheus Cunha has said that he will do everything within his power to help the Red Devils. While highlighting that he understands why he was signed, he also hoped to deliver his best.

In a press conference, the forward said, as quoted by (The United Stand on X):

"It's the most important part of the game. I will do what I need to help the team, like score goals, I come here, I understand why I am here and I hope I can do my best."

The 26-year-old joined Manchester United from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a reported £62.5 million this summer. He's expected to improve the Premier League giants' goalscoring numbers and attacking creativity going forward.

About the author

Abel is an European football journalist who focuses primarily on analysis pieces and preview copies at Sportskeeda. A B.Sc degree holder in Economics, he has a previous work experience of 3 years – a year at Opera News Hub where he was promoted as a 'Verified Sports Writer,’ and over two years at Sportskeeda as a revenue-share writer, where his writing skills have ultimately led him to be integrated into the in-house team.

A Manchester United fan who grew up in a family of Red Devils supporters, he started his journey as an ardent football fan in his childhood. He used to spend hours watching the sport with his family and developed a knack for writing about the beautiful game over the years.

He is a huge admirer of Paul Pogba owing to the midfielder's ability to thread passes from anywhere on the pitch and his favorite manager is Jose Mourinho due to the Portuguese's tactical mind. He feels France's triumph in 2018 is his all-time favorite World Cup moment, and reckons Lamine Yamal and Endrick could replicate the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe's top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.

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Edited by Aditya Singh