Transition at Manchester United has lasted a lot longer than thought: Wayne Rooney

New Delhi, Dec 28 Wayne Rooney, the all-time highest goal-scorer for Premier League club Manchester United, believes the club has been trying to find solutions to solving their transition period issue though he admitted that it is taking longer than expected.

Manchester United have a new manager in Erik Ten Hag, and while the club has been showing improvement in results, the Dutchman has a huge job in leading a seamless transition phase in the side, for which he had said would run into months, not weeks.

"I think they've gone through a transition and it maybe lasted a lot longer than what we all thought," said Rooney in an upcoming episode of Home of Heroes show on Sports18, set to be aired on December 29.

Rooney also believes that the the club can go back to its old glory with Ten Hag at helm.

"I feel with Ten Hag that they are on a good step and they gradually can go back to what it was of the old and it would be difficult of course, you can't replace one of the, if not the greatest manager of all time (in Sir Alex Ferguson)," he said.

The former English player, who now is a manager in the U.S. rated England's national coach Gareth Southgate highly despite them not getting into the semi-finals of FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

"Gareth is doing a great job of being flexible with the players. He's promoting a lot of youth, a lot of players in those from youth ultimately are on the 21-member team as well," Rooney said.

Asked if he would like to coach if the England manager job comes to him, the 37-year old said, "You never know one day in the future if it's a possibility, but at this moment, my priority would be on being a club manager."

Rooney also emphasised that there is no one in the football circuit currently who can replace what Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have achieved in their careers.

"(Erling) Haaland and (Kylian) Mbappe, of course, the next two, at this moment of time, they're obviously better than Messi and Ronaldo. But for them to emulate the career that Messi and Ronaldo have had I can't see it like, I can't see.

What Messi and Ronaldo have done is very unique in the world of football. For Messi and Ronaldo to do it in the same time in the same league for a long time, I don't think we'll see that again," concluded Rooney.