Cristiano Ronaldo hints at possible reunion with 'Pitbull' Rooney

Cristiano Ronaldo isn't ruling out a possible reunion with former Manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney.

The Portuguese international heaped praise on Rooney in a documentary detailing his triumph at the international level following his record-breaking goal to become England's all-time leading scorer.

"I miss playing with Rooney. Maybe we will play together again one day," Ronaldo said.

The pair joined forces in 2004 when Rooney was acquired from Everton, 12 months after Ronaldo arrived from Sporting Lisbon. During several trophy-laden years with Sir Alex Ferguson's Red Devils, they developed into world-class players.

Although Ronaldo eventually left in 2009, the 2014 Ballon d'Or winner continues to hold Rooney in high regard as he watches the United captain from afar.

"He was the kid of England, everyone loved him. He was so powerful I was calling him 'Pitbull.' The power of Wayne Rooney is his mentality and strength and he never stops.

"He's a fantastic team player and he scores. He's a fantastic boy and he helped me a lot when he came to join us in Manchester."

Their partnership struck fear into opponents once they began firing on all cylinders, but the pairing came with its low points as well.

Speculation about unrest between them dominated headlines following their infamous meeting at the 2006 World Cup, when Rooney was sent off against Portugal. While Ronaldo appeared to influence the referee's decision, his wink in the direction of the Portuguese bench after Rooney left the match suggested he intended to get his club teammate ejected from the fixture.

"I don't regret what I did because when you play for your country, you defend your colours so... I didn't do anything bad," Ronaldo said.

"He understood my point of view, let's speak about the present, let's win trophies, let's play together like we did.

"We were still friends. People create big dramas that never exist."