Harry Diamond
Mason Greenwood has named Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney as a ‘role model’ and admits to watching footage of the Brazilian Ronaldo as he looks for inspiration.
Greenwood has emerged as one of the brightest prospects to have come through the Manchester United academy in recent years and has revealed fellow teenage sensation Rooney is a player he has ‘always looked up to’.
Like Greenwood, Rooney burst onto the scene whilst still a teenager before going on to become both Manchester United and England’s record goalscorer and the 17-year-old admits the club’s former captain, alongside former Real Madrid and Brazil star Ronaldo, is an inspiration as he bids to continue his own development.
“It has to be Rooney,” Greenwood told manutd.com. “The Brazilian Ronaldo, too. They’ve always stood out for me and I’ve always looked up to them. Ronaldo was quite a while ago but my dad used to show me clips of him.
“Rooney is such a great goalscorer and that is what I want to be. You have to have a role model. I’ve never seen him, though. I’ve watched his games and the highlights on YouTube. Hopefully I’ll get to meet him one day.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has previously described Greenwood as the most natural finisher at Manchester United, though has also insisted he will not rush him into the first team, and the teenager admitted that his manager’s goalscoring exploits during his playing days is also an inspiration.
“I’ve got so many role models around me and Marcus [Rashford] is another one,” he added.
“I just want to follow in his footsteps. He’s a goalscorer, he shoots off both feet, he’s quick.
“Solskjaer was a great goalscorer at United, too. And he’s a great manager in my eyes.”
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