I don't think Rooney meant as good as Messi in terms of how he plays. I think he means about the influence that Messi has and the quality of his play. Rooney and Messi are completely different players even though they play in similar positions. I'd aspire to be like Messi even though I play in goal but there's traits that I can aim to have i.e. humility, passion, determination and general brilliance.
