United legend Cole: Messi bigger than Rooney

(GSM) – Former Manchester United striker Andy Cole believes Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is in a different class from anyone else in the world and he rates the Argentinian star ahead of Wayne Rooney.

In his column for the Independent, Cole wrote: “Regular readers will know I’m a fan of (Cristiano) Ronaldo, and an even bigger fan of the man who’s assumed his mantle with quite astonishing success, Wayne Rooney. But Messi is on a higher plain than even that pair. A second World Player of the Year title is surely his for the taking.

“The World Cup will have some bearing on that, but in this form there is no reason Messi can’t carry Argentina way beyond where they could expect without him.

“If we’re being brutally honest, England’s hopes in South Africa probably rest with Rooney being as fit and in form for every England game as he has been for almost every match of United’s season so far.

“And I don’t necessarily think that reliance on one player to take you to another level is unusual, or even bad. It just happens.

“Logically, then, Messi too can galvanise and transform Argentina. “