The Argentine has praised the England captain's technical ability, and admits he is unsure how he would have developed if he had left Barcelona to join Arsenal in 2003
Lionel Messi insists Wayne Rooney has "exceptional quality" and believes the Manchester United striker would be a success in La Liga.
Rooney scored 14 goals in all competitions for United last season but was occasionally deployed in a deeper midfield role by manager Louis van Gaal.
The 29-year-old is also two behind Bobby Charlton's record of 49 goals for England and could add to his tally on Sunday as Roy Hodgson's side face Slovenia in their Euro 2016 qualifier.
When asked why England have a problem producing world-class players, Messi told Shortlist: "I am not sure that it is true. If you look at the technical ability of a player like Wayne Rooney, he is as good as any player in Europe.
"Rooney has exceptional quality. Not just great technical ability, but also works very hard for his team. I'm sure Manchester United will never want to let him leave, though."
Arsene Wenger has previously revealed that Arsenal were close to signing Messi in 2003 and the Barcelona forward admits he is unsure how his career would have progressed if he left Spain.
"It is hard to say, because my education would have been very different to what I have had at Barcelona, but the Premier League is obviously one of the best and most competitive in Europe," said the Argentine.
Courtesy WWW.goal.com
Courtesy WWW.goal.com
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