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Rooney - Scholes is true great

Image: Rooney: Scholes deserves more praise

Wayne Rooney believes Paul Scholes is one of the greatest Manchester United players of all-time.

Rooney hails veteran midfielder as world-beater

Wayne Rooney has been lauded by players and fans alike as one of the best players in the world for driving Manchester United towards a record 19th league crown, but the England forward feels Paul Scholes is more deserving of the praise. Dubbed the "White Pele" by the Old Trafford faithful, Rooney has stepped out of the shadow of former United star Cristiano Ronaldo to fire 30 goals already this campaign, putting Sir Alex Ferguson's men in the frame to win three trophies this season. However, the ever-humble Rooney is adamant that veteran midfielder Scholes is a true United legend and should receive more credit for his performances. Scholes notched his 100th Premier League goal in United's 1-0 win against Wolves last weekend and Rooney insists he would be happy to match the achievements of the Old Trafford centurion. He told The Sun: "It's hard to sum up Scholesy because he's changed his game since he was younger. He's like a quarterback now, getting it in the middle and spraying it around the field. "He's unbelievable - he's one of the greatest of all time."

Maturity

Rooney's performances for England have seen him earmarked as a future captain, but he insists he was happy not to be named as Fabio Capello's new skipper ahead of the World Cup. Team-mate Rio Ferdinand was named as captain for the showpiece in South Africa, and Rooney believes the former Leeds defender deserved the armband. He added: "I captained against Brazil, which was great. Hopefully one day I could do it full time. But now is not the right time. "There are more experienced players in the team who deserve to be captain. I think that and obviously the manager does too."

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