Manchester United’s English striker Wayne Rooney (L) celebrates scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield in Liverpool, northwest England, on January 17, 2016. AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLIS
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Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has praised captain Wayne Rooney for a half-time outburst that reminded him of a pivotal moment from his time with Ajax.
Van Gaal revealed that Rooney upbraided his under-performing team-mates at half-time of last weekend’s Premier League match at Liverpool before going on to earn his side a 1-0 victory with a 78th-minute winner.
For Van Gaal it brought back memories of a similar outburst by Frank Rijkaard at half-time of Ajax’s 1995 Champions League final against AC Milan, which the Dutch club went on to win 1-0.
“I think the players have to take responsibility, but at the right moment, because I have seen it in my career at the wrong moment,” Van Gaal said in comments published by British newspapers on Saturday.
“At the right moment you have to do it so I am very pleased. In the final in 1995 with Frank Rijkaard, for example.
“It’s always good, it always helps the manager and also the players. I’m asking already for more. I believe in the corrections of fellow players. I think that is more important than the correction of a manager.”
Former Netherlands international Rijkaard lost his temper with team-mate Clarence Seedorf at half-time in Vienna in the 1995 final, before setting up an 85th-minute winner for Patrick Kluivert.
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