Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo's relationship is back under the microscope after the two exchanged words over Manchester United's current plight.
The current Derby County boss, during an appearance on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, questioned whether the Red Devils should be relying on the 37-year-old, despite being the club's top scorer in his first season back at Old Trafford. Asked if his return had worked out, United's record goalscorer said: "You'd have to say no at the minute.
"I think he's scored goals, he's scored important goals in the Champions League early on in the season, he scored the hat-trick against Tottenham.
"But I think if you're looking to the future of the club, you have to go with younger, hungry players to do the best and lift Manchester United over these next two or three years. Obviously, Cristiano is getting on a bit, he certainly isn't the player he was when he was in his 20s, and that happens, that's football."
Ronaldo was quick to reply, intimating that his former teammate was "jealous" of his exploits, still playing at the top level, despite being younger than the Rams manager.
"I saw that this morning!" Rooney said of the response. "I would probably say that there is not a footballer on the planet who is not jealous of Cristiano! The career he has had, the trophies he has won, the money he has earned…and the six-pack, his body. I think every player bar Lionel Messi is jealous of Cristiano!"
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And it appears that Ronaldo owes Rooney a debt of gratitude, with the former England skipper suggesting he bore the brunt of Sir Alex Ferguson's 'hairdryer' treatment in order to spare him from tears. Before becoming a fox-in-the-box, Ronaldo's game was all about dribbling with the ball, with a blurring flurry of stepovers dazzling defenders. Ferguson was often less than impressed and sent a pointed message to the Portuguese star - by having a go at Rooney.
"We actually had [an argument] almost every game, at half-time," Rooney told LADbible earlier this year. "It's just he'd see the way the game was going, he'd have a go at me.
"If [Luis] Nani or Cristiano were dribbling along and losing the ball, he'd come in at half-time and have a go at me for dribbling. And he knew that would get me fired up.
"I'm looking, thinking, 'You joking here? I've got these two dribbling constantly, losing the ball and you're having a go at me?' and then I'd have a go back at him.
"He knew that it would get a reaction out of me and it was his way of saying to those two: 'Stop dribbling with the ball'. Because if he said it to these two, there'd probably be tears."
Rooney continued: "He enjoyed it, he knew what he was doing. He knew exactly what he was doing, he enjoyed us having a go back because he knew that would fire the rest of the players up. He knew I played on the edge, especially at that time and it got me going."
