Wayne Rooney Would Have Voted For Cristiano Ronaldo For The 2018 Ballon D'Or

Wayne Rooney has revealed that he would have voted for Cristiano Ronaldo for the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner ahead of Luka Modrić.

The 33-year-old Croatian midfielder beat his former Real Madrid teammate for France Football's coveted prize back in December.

However, Rooney said that he was surprised that Modrić took home the Ballon d'Or instead of Ronaldo.

"Luka Modrić is a fantastic player," he told DAZN (via Goal). "I think his passing is great and the way he moves with the ball.

"Actually, he doesn't look that quick to the eye, but when you play against him he glides past players. He's a fantastic player, he's had a great career.

"I don't think he's the best player in the world, but in terms of the year is he worthy of it? Of course, he is.

"He had a great year with Real Madrid and obviously had a great run as captain with Croatia.

"I think if it was player-voted, I would have voted for Ronaldo this year, but taking nothing away from Luka Modrić. He won it, so he deserves it."

The former Manchester United and Everton forward had the opportunity to play against Modrić during the Croatia international's time at Tottenham Hotspur.

Rooney, who is preparing for the start of the upcoming MLS season, praised the ex-Spurs ace for his ability on the pitch, though he claimed that he didn't carry the same stature as some Premier League legends.

"He wasn't a midfield player who, before the game, you would think: 'Oh no, we're playing against Luka Modrić,'" he explained.

"He's not like a Patrick Vieira-style player or Roy Keane where he's commanding, he's a different kind of player.

"But his ability, his passing, he can shoot with both feet. As I said before, he takes the ball and glides, creates opportunities, so he's a fantastic player."

The DC United star recently grabbed the headlines after it was revealed that he wanted to pursue a certain career path when he retires from football.

Who will win the 2019 Ballon d'Or?

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Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Football News, Tottenham Hotspur, Football, Manchester United, France Football, Premier League, Ballon d'Or, Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid, Luka Modric

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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