Pele: A big fan of Wayne Rooney but on the fence over Sunday's likely winner

Brazil great Pele says Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is a player he would love to have on his side.

Pele was in London on Friday but on Sunday he will be at Anfield when United take on Liverpool in one of the biggest games the Premier League has to offer.

The three-time World Cup winner hopes to see a 'beautiful game' but would not be drawn on who he would prefer to win.

However, Rooney is a player that Pele feels would be an asset to any team, as he said: "Rooney to me is one of the players who is excellent for the team.

"He has patience, guts, and he plays nice football. If I have to select for my team, he will be in my team."

Pele is also interested to see how Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho performs, as he believes the youngster will be an important player for Brazil in the future.

Coutinho has five Brazil caps, but Pele feels there is a lot more to come from the 22-year-old, who has returned to form in 2015 with some fantastic goals and moments of inspiration to thrust the Reds back into contention for a Champions League place.

"He has talent, already we know that. We talk a lot in Brazil about him," he added.

"I think he has a good opportunity to be the next big player for the national team. I wish he has some luck because he is a player who has talent. I wish him to have the same luck I have in my life."

As for Sunday's game, Pele just hopes it puts a smile on his face, as he said: "In Brazil we follow all the tournaments, all the games, and of course this game is a fantastic game to see.

"We have a lot of Brazilians here in England but what I look forward to is to see a nice game, to see a beautiful game. It doesn’t matter who wins. The important thing is to see a fantastic game."

Watch Liverpool take on Manchester United at Anfield on Sky Sports 1 on Sunday - coverage starts at 12:30pm.