“The man” - Jack Grealish's old tweets show his preference between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

Old tweets by Manchester City forward Jack Grealish have indicated who the star chooses between PSG forward Lionel Messi and Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo. The Messi vs Ronaldo debate is one that continues to be a hot topic in the football world.

Grealish's old tweet shows the England international siding with the Portugal captain when the two did battle for Real Madrid and Barcelona in the El Clasico back in 2011. Grealish tweeted (via Manchester Evening News):

"El Clasico! Woo! Can't wait! Ronaldo or Messi peeps? Ronaldo is the man."

His loyalties towards the former Real Madrid man would once again be on show a year later. He tweeted:

"Just found it's El Clasico next Saturday... Boom! Watch Ronaldo rip up big time."

Grealish has since explained why he holds the former Juventus striker in such high esteem in an interview with ITV during the European Championships last year. He said:

"When I was a kid, I used to love watching people that would run with the ball. I always remember Ronaldo when he came to Villa Park, I used to love watching him."

Grealish was on the winning side of Manchester as his side ran out 4-1 winners over Manchester United on Sunday. However, Ronaldo did not feature with interim manager Ralf Rangnick ruling him out with a hip flexor injury.

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Grealish himself was on the move last summer during a busy transfer window. United's prodigal son returned to Old Trafford and the former Aston Villa captain become the Premier League's most expensive player.

Prior to his return to the red side of Manchester, Cristiano Ronaldo had been linked with a move to Manchester City.

The Portugal star continues to struggle this season. Since Rangnick took temporary charge of the Red Devils, his form has majorly nosedived. The 37-year-old has failed to score in his last ten matches, with many questioning whether his long-term future lies at Old Trafford.

Under former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the Portuguese had saved Manchester United's bacon on numerous occasions. In the UEFA Champions League, his six goals in six games were instrumental in guiding the Red Devils through to the knockout stages of the competition.