Wayne Rooney reveals surprise choice for the player he most enjoyed playing with in his career

Wayne Rooney has named Carlos Tevez as the teammate he enjoyed playing with the most, saying the two "complimented each other really well".

Tevez linked up with Rooney for two years after signing for Manchester United in 2007 and the two formed a wondrous understanding on the pitch.

Both had similar qualities and combined their supreme technical ability with immense work-rate and a winning mentality.

Forming part of a deadly front three alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez won back-to-back Premier League titles and lifted the Champions League final in 2008.

Rooney, United and England's record goalscorer, played alongside a slew of world-class attackers - including Dimitar Berbatov, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Robin van Persie.

But Rooney loved playing with Tevez because they could rotate roles.

“Tevez. I just loved our connection. Rooney told SPORTbible when asked who was his favourite player to play with.

"The two of us up front, we complimented each other really well.

“Normally if I played with Louis Saha, Ruud van Nistelrooy or Robin van Persie – these strikers were always the No.9 and I’d play as a No.10.

“With Tevez we could rotate, I’d be the No.9, he’d take the No.9 spot and I’d be No.10. When we lost the ball we’d be like two bulls trying to get it back.

“As a strike partner, he was the one I enjoyed playing with the most.”

There were complications over Tevez's third-party ownership when United went about trying to sign him permanently and he ended up sealing a controversial move across town to rivals Manchester City in the summer of 2009.

Image: PA

His transfer brought about a famous 'Welcome to Manchester' poster and Tevez was detested by the United faithful for joining the "noisy neighbours".

Rooney, who later handed in a transfer request amid concerns the direction the club was going in, was gutted about Tevez's departure.

He added: “[It was] devastating. I enjoyed playing with him that much and I knew something was going on because there was the issue with his ownership in terms of whether it was the club or an agent.

“It was actually very cheap to buy him and for whatever reason we didn’t buy him. I think Man City got him for about £20 million, which is incredible really.

“You saw what a great player he was when he went there. I was devastated.”

Topics: Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez, Manchester United, Manchester City, Premier League

Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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