Sir Alex Ferguson has shed a fascinating insight into the life of Cristiano Ronaldo during his time at Manchester United.
The 30-year-old frontman moved to Old Trafford in 2003 after learning his trade at Sporting Lisbon. The attacker arrived at the club as a raw but indisputably talented young player, and blossomed into one of the finest players in the world game.
He eventually left United in 2009, to move to Real Madrid, but not before winning three Premier League titles, the 2004 FA Cup, two League Cup titles, the 2008 and the Club World Cup.
Ronaldo never quite managed to score in quite the eye-watering quantities that he has managed at Real Madrid, but he still registered some impressive numbers in Manchester—scoring 17, 31 and 18 league goals in his last three league seasons in the EPL.
However, it wasn’t all easy going for Ronaldo in England, and his former mentor Ferguson, speaking to the Telegraph, has admitted that life wasn’t always easy for the Portuguese superstar.
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“You have to embrace it,” he began, discussing the departure of David Beckham, another player who swapped United for Real. “Dealing with an ego doesn’t bother me. You used to see [Cristiano] Ronaldo standing in front of the mirror loving himself. But it was a nice vanity. The players used to throw jockstraps, boots and all sorts at him. It never bothered him one bit.”
Perhaps Ferguson’s comments help explain why Ronaldo was so keen to leave Old Trafford and make a name for himself at the Bernabeu!