Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has admitted that he is an admirer of Manchester United frontman Wayne Rooney.
The 33-year-old Sweden international has never played alongside or faced the England captain during his career.
However, Ibrahimovic has said that Rooney deserves praise for his ability to perform at the highest level for over a decade.
"These great players, they have their moments over one to three years. But to continue over five years, for ten years the way Wayne Rooney has done is not easy. It's pressure everyday playing for a big team," The Mirror quotes him as saying.
"He runs a lot, he fights a lot, he sacrifices a lot. When he played with Cristiano Ronaldo all the work was done by Wayne Rooney but he didn't get the credit because Ronaldo was scoring all of the goals.
"I'd prefer to have him in my team than play against him. I've not been lucky enough to play with him but I enjoy seeing him on the pitch - if I cannot play with him, I will watch him."
Rooney has scored 255 goals in 487 appearances since joining United from Everton in 2004.
Steven Toplis
