DC United striker Wayne Rooney admits he struggled to get along with Ruud van Nistelrooy at Manchester United.

But he takes great pride from the partnership with Robin van Persie that helped United win the title for the last time in 2013.

He told De Telegraaf: “Ruud van ­Nistelrooy was great. I loved him. He was one of my biggest ­heroes when I was young. It was like a dream come true when I was on the same pitch as him.

“It was an honour to watch him from close and to learn from him. He was such a brilliant finisher. I never really got close with Ruud off the pitch, but that was mainly because of the age gap. I was just a kid and Ruud was in his late twenties. And he was so experienced."

He added: “I loved playing with Van Persie. He was a world-class player and it was an absolute privilege to play with him. But I have other great memories of Robin off the pitch.

“Our karaoke night at Christmas was fantastic. I remember doing a song with Robin's wife, Bouchra. She had a terrific voice. I grew really close to Robin. On and off the pitch we got on really well. We spent a lot of good times together."