Wayne Rooney says he once had to tell Manchester United team-mate Nemanja Vidic to “grow up”.
Rooney, who’s shared a dressing with his fair share of tough characters, labelled Vidic particularly tricky when it came to squad harmony. Speaking on The Overlap, brought to you by Sky Bet, the 38-year-old recalled how Vidic would cut off communication with certain players if they had a falling out.
“Vidic was a nightmare,” Rooney admitted. “He’d have an argument with someone, I remember he didn’t speak to Giggsy [Ryan Giggs] for six months, didn’t speak to Patrice [Evra] for months, he’d have an argument with someone and he just wouldn’t speak to them.”
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The United legend didn’t escape the silent treatment himself and had to confront Vidic about his behaviour, reports the Manchester Evening News. He said: “I had an argument with him once and I remember that he was going down the same route with me, so I pulled him for a chat and said, ‘Grow up, what’s up with you? We’re team-mates’. But it would go on for months, and he was captain at the time.”
Despite Vidic’s grudges, his time at United was laden with silverware, including five Premier League titles, three League Cups, and a Champions League victory. Vidic’s formidable partnership with Rio Ferdinand is etched in football lore, and his 300 appearances for the Red Devils are a testament to his impact on the pitch, even if he was a bit of a brooder off it.
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Arguments and tiffs were all part of the game at United under Sir Alex Ferguson, and Rooney reckons the squad, including the gaffer, were top-notch at ditching their beef when it came to match day.
“I wouldn’t say [the arguments] ever affected us in games,” he revealed. “I had it with the manager. We had a falling out but come matchday I’d run through a brick wall for him. I wouldn’t let that change the way I performed for the team.”