LONDON -- Rio Ferdinand says his former Manchester United and England teammate Wayne Rooney has maximised his potential as a player, and insisted that curbing his aggression has not affected his impact on the pitch.
- Ferdinand: United players loving Van Gaal
- Ferdinand: FA should consider Rooney rule
Rooney was hailed by the English media as a player who had the potential to join the game's greats as he started his career in sparkling fashion for club and country, but while the 28-year-old has had a fine career he has not reached the same level as players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Speaking at the launch of his new book "#2Sides" at London's Mayfair hotel, Ferdinand -- who refers to Rooney as "Wazza" -- rejected the suggestion that the striker has not lived up to his potential.
"When you score a hat trick on your debut, things are going to get blown out of proportion," said Ferdinand with a smile, as he referred to Rooney's 2004 United debut against Fenerbahce in the Champions League.
"When he first came through the door at United, Wazza was a feisty, aggressive trailblazer. He was aggressive and crazy on and off the pitch and you never quite knew what was coming next with him.
"The way he has evolved to be the England and Man United captain is testament to him in how he has turned things around. I don't know if curbing his aggression on the pitch has taken away from his football side, I question that.
"Now he is in a position where he can beat the England and Man United goal-scoring record so he has to be doing something right."
While Ronaldo has moved ahead of his ex-United teammate to be recognised as the best player in the world, Ferdinand suggested Rooney should not be castigated for failing to live up to such a lofty billing.
"Wazza was a step ahead of Ronaldo when he first came to United, but people develop at different rates," added Ferdinand. "Obviously, he had ability when he came through the door, but he was all about doing the tricks and wanted to be a bit of a show pony.
"The transformation from when he arrived to when he left United as the best player in the world was incredible. He became someone who was just there to execute, excite people and that was amazing to see. Not everyone can be the best player in the world."