Rooney Questions Quality of Today’s Defenders, Hails Saliba and Gabriel as Best Current Pair

Former Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney has expressed doubts over the quality of modern defenders, insisting that today’s centre-backs fall short of the standard set by the greats he faced during his career.

Speaking on the latest episode of The Wayne Rooney Show podcast, the 39-year-old reflected on his 19-year senior career, particularly his years at United when the club was a regular contender in the Champions League.

“In this current era, centre-backs are nowhere near as good as the ones I played against,” Rooney said.

From the current Premier League crop, he picked Arsenal duo William Saliba and Gabriel as the standout pair. “Saliba and Gabriel complement each other really well. They’re leaders and talkers, which is vital for centre-backs. But would I place them at the same level as the defenders I came up against? No, I wouldn’t. Still, they’re probably the best partnership right now,” he noted.

Rooney went on to single out his former teammates Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, saying both would easily make his list of the top five defenders he faced.