Football
ESPN staff 8y

Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo on Gerard Pique's dream team bench

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has named former Manchester United teammates Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench of his dream team.

Pique, 28, played alongside the duo at Old Trafford before leaving for Barca in 2008, where he has gone on to lift numerous honours including five La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies.

The centre-back is currently preparing to face Rooney on Friday when Spain host England in an international friendly.

Ahead of the match, Pique was asked who he would select in his dream team, replying in the Daily Telegraph: "[Lionel] Messi, [Luis] Suarez, Neymar, [Andres] Iniesta. There is also [Paul] Pogba, Cristiano Ronaldo. I have the best players in the world."

Pressed on whether he would have any English players in the side, Pique replied: "I have Wayne Rooney because he is one of the best English players in history.

"He needs to win an important title with England. It will be difficult, but you never know. Recently he became England's all-time record goal scorer -- a very important record. And he's not old. Just 30."

"Sometimes we have phone calls, texts, He's a fantastic lad. When I was there [at United -- from 2004-08] he was really young and I was really young too and he helped me a lot.

"He involved me in the team, helped me to learn English. He was the joker in the dressing room. I have great memories."

Rooney's form for United has come under scrutiny this season, with the United striker scoring twice in 11 Premier League matches.

Pique said: "He's not as quick as he was, maybe, but he will always score goals -- he scored a hat trick against Brugge, he scored against CSKA [Moscow]. He has kept scoring.

"It's true he's getting older, we all have to accept that, but he has the ability to play for a long time. And, you know, when you don't score sometimes it is not because of you. Sometimes it's maybe the team is not creating chances for you."

"Not everything, always, is about your performance. It's about the team performance. When the team is not playing well then normally you will not play well. It's all about the team."

Pique's dream team XI: David De Gea, Sergio Ramos, Pique, John Stones, Sergio Busquets, Pogba, Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas, Neymar, Luis Suarez, Messi.

Substitutes: Iker Casillas, Dani Alves, Sergio Ramos, Eden Hazard, David Silva, Rooney, Ronaldo.

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