Wayne Rooney: Ravel Morrison was better than Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard

The former Manchester United captain also opined that the midfielder is proof that there are guidelines for every professional player to obey.

Former Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney has revealed that he felt former Manchester United starlet Ravel Morrison was even more talented than Paul Pogba when both were coming through the system many years ago.

In his weekly column for the Times, Wayne Rooney revealed his thoughts on Morrison and why it all went so wrong for him. “I remember watching Ravel Morrison thinking he had everything required for a player in his position," his column read.

“He was brilliant. He was confident. He nutmegged Nemanja Vidic three times in the space of a minute in one training game. But he struggled with lifestyle and his environment which was sad for him.

“I saw Paul Pogba come through, Jesse Lingard, all these players and Ravel was better than any of them by a country mile. He’s proof that you can’t escape the fact there are guidelines every player has to obey in professional football.

“Some players live right on the edge of them but stick just inside and still succeed. Then you think how far you can go by being ultra-professional. Gary Neville, for instance. Gary’s not a great football player but he worked in every minute of every training session and made the most of everything he had. He had a fantastic career through hard work. Full respect,” Wayne Rooney added.

Morrison excelled for United’s youth teams in the same class of players like Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba came through, starring in the Red Devils' win the prestigious FA Youth Cup in 2011 as well.

However, things went south in his personal life which saw him getting entangled in a legal battle for an domestic assault charge on his girlfriend and also for homophobic slants on social media. His awful demeanor saw him released by United in 2012, after which he joined West Ham United only to make just 15 appearances for them.

Following years of unsuccessful loan spells, Morrison quickly became an afterthought as Pogba and Lingard both elevated into becoming important members of United’s first team. He is currently contracted to Premier League side Sheffield United, but on loan at Championship club Middlesbrough.