Wayne Rooney Names Carlos Tevez as Worst Trainer but Hails Matchday Impact
Wayne Rooney has revealed Carlos Tevez was the poorest trainer he encountered, but said Manchester United accepted it because of the Argentine’s relentless impact on matchday.
Rooney made the assessment while reflecting on United’s feared forward options under Sir Alex Ferguson. Tevez spent two seasons at Old Trafford after joining in 2007, and was part of an attack also featuring Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and, later, Dimitar Berbatov.
Quick facts
- Tevez joined Manchester United in 2007 after helping West Ham stay in the Premier League.
- United won six trophies during his two-year spell, including two league titles and the 2008 Champions League.
- Rooney, Tevez, Ronaldo and Berbatov competed for places in Ferguson’s attack.
- Tevez later made a contentious move across Manchester to City.
Rooney said every player had a different profile, but described Tevez’s work on the training pitch as “an absolute disgrace” and the worst he had seen. The former United captain stressed that the striker’s poor practice standards were tolerated because he emptied himself in competitive games.
Tevez’s lack of English initially made communication difficult, although Rooney said the pair still formed a connection. Rooney regularly collected Tevez from his home, with the two sometimes travelling together to the airport before Champions League fixtures.
There was no shortage of rivalry for attacking roles, Rooney said. Berbatov was quiet, Tevez had limited English, while Rooney felt he had the closest off-field rapport with Ronaldo because of their shared banter.
On the pitch, however, Rooney said the key was understanding each forward’s qualities and limitations. United’s strength in depth meant every member of the quartet had to keep delivering.
Rooney also pointed to Berbatov’s 2008 arrival as an example of Ferguson’s refusal to stand still. United had just completed a Premier League and Champions League double, yet still brought in another elite striker to raise standards again.
He argued that successful clubs must recruit from positions of strength, noting Arsenal’s own decision to add quality after winning the Premier League. At United, new signings created pressure rather than complacency, with established figures such as Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes repeatedly challenged by incoming players.
Rooney said the arrival of Berbatov left United with four outstanding forwards and made top-level performances essential. Both he and Tevez have since retired from playing and moved into management, but their Old Trafford spell remains a clear illustration of the competition Ferguson demanded.
