Wednesday, 9th April, 2014
Wayne Rooney has admitted an admiration for Jari Litmanen and revealed he has sought to emulate aspects of the Finland legend's game.
The 43-year-old, who last played competitive football with HJK Helsinki in his homeland, enjoyed notable spells at Ajax, Barcelona and Liverpool in the 1990s and early 2000s.
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Litmanen, who could operate as a striker or in the hole, won 137 caps for Finland between 1989 and 2010 and is widely considered the country's greatest ever player.
And Rooney knows all about Litmanen, being a firm fan and watcher of the Finnish forward during his playing days.
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"There are so many strikers I have liked", Rooney explained to Dutch broadcaster NIS.
"My favourite was Litmanen. I loved to see him play.
"He was not the quickest player, but he always found space. I always thought 'he is not fast, how come he is in that space?'
"From him I tried to learn the most."
Litmanen collected the Champions League with Ajax in 1995 and scooped the UEFA Cup in 2001 with Liverpool. He finished third in the Ballon d'Or voting in 1995.
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