Wayne Rooney's comments about Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams will frighten England as Man Utd legend compares Spain star to Cristiano Ronaldo

The Manchester United legend heaped praise on the two young Spanish wingers as he warned English's defenders to be vigilant against them. Rooney claimed that Barcelona's Yamal will be high on confidence after his world-class strike in the semi-final against France and suggested that he found similarities in the 17-year-old with himself from when he made his Euros debut 20 years back in 2004.

He went on to compare Williams' abilities to that of Cristiano Ronaldo from his younger days because of the Athletic Club attacker's imposing physical presence on the pitch and his ability to go past defenders with ease.

Speaking to The Times, Rooney said, "England will need to defend well on the flanks against Spain because their brilliant two young wingers provide their main threat. Lamine Yamal will be full of confidence after his brilliant goal against France and he reminds me a bit of how I was at Euro 2004 – a teenager having the time of his life.

"Fear? Young lads like him, Nico Williams and Mainoo haven’t lived long enough to know it or understand what it is. On the big stage of a European Championship, they’re just playing and enjoying it and having fun, and normally that’s the best way to play the game."

He added: "Williams, for me, is exceptional. He reminds me of Cristiano Ronaldo when Cristiano was young. He’s a big lad, he’ll take the ball and sometimes tries too much but usually makes the right decisions. He is an incredible threat in one-on-one situations and scores goals as well. England need to be really careful with him."

Williams and Yamal could pair up in club football as well in the upcoming 2024-25 season as Barcelona have reportedly shown strong interest in signing the player from Athletic Club. For now, the youngsters will aim to win their maiden international trophy in Berlin on Sunday.