Ronaldo relishes prospect of Rooney reunion match

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo is excited about the possibility of playing against former Manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney at Euro 2016, should his team take on England at some point during the competition.

The two Red Devils standouts played side by side for seven years at Old Trafford and while Ronaldo left for Real Madrid in 2009, they remain close enough to make the Portuguese icon giddy at the prospect of a reunion.

"A match against England would be very emotive for me - because of Wayne Rooney and because of many other things too," Ronaldo told the Sunday Mirror, as quoted by Sky Sports. "Roo is now a leader and that's not a surprise ... I was always convinced that he would be a star for England and, inevitably, captain one day.

"For me, the character and pride of Rooney is unique - he's still very important for England."

Due to the rules of qualifying for the Round of 16, the two could theoretically meet as soon as the first knockout round. Ronaldo didn't shy away from singing the Three Lions' praises, either.

"For me, England always has a chance to do well in big tournaments and this time they are arriving in France with some ­interesting young players who have a big future. The connection in the team and the team spirit looks positive.

"Both Jamie Vardy and Harry Kane have scored a lot of goals and had success this year too."