The debate over who is the greatest footballer to have ever lived will rage on for decades to come.Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have done more than enough to claim the title but you can be certain their loyal fans will battle it out until their dying day to prove their man is the greatest.In truth, so great and consistent have been the record-breaking antics of the pair of superstars, we have almost become desensitised to just how magic they are.Their supreme brilliance has cast a wide shadow over the game as some quite sensational players spent their entire careers in that shade.One of those players, is none other than Manchester United legend, Wayne Rooney, who was one of the most lethal forwards to ever kick a ball about.Had he not been playing in the same era as Messi or Ronaldo, Rooney would undoubtedly have bagged a Ballon d'Or or two at some point.
Now, a superb Twitter thread has gone viral online of various global stars praising and highlighting just how good Rooney was.
From George best to Ronaldo himself, Messi to Pele, they all had one common opinion, Rooney was pretty special.
In a number of lovely interview clips, the thread leaves no stone unturned in the Rooney love-fest
The first clip see Manchester United legend Best saying in 2004:
"He's got a right foot, left foot, he can head the ball, big strong lad with great balance.. the comparison between us is a compliment".
Later in the the thread we see similar comments from Ronaldo and Messi before the legendary Pele joins in the chorus with:
"I follow him a long time, I liked the way he played, he plays with heart".
You can view the full thread by clicking here.
Jadon Sancho, Pep Guardiola, Diego Maradona, Paul Pogba and a myriad of other household names also feature in the remarkable thread.
The fact that some of the greatest footballers to have ever lived only ever had good things to say about Rooney proves that he was a unique talent.
Sadly, now that his playing career is at an end, we can only look back at all the fond memories and marvel at the fact that we just didn't realise how lucky we were to be watching a master work.
Finally, we'll end with the comments of Sir Alex Ferguson, who, despite his many years at the top of the game, was blown away by what Rooney would go on to achieve.
"When Wayne Rooney signed for the club, I could never have imagined that anyone could beat Bobby Charlton's [goalscoring] record, so the achievement is outstanding - it's amazing".