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Cristiano Ronaldo ranked 10th greatest Manchester United player by The Athletic

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Cristiano Ronaldo has been ranked as the 10th greatest player in Manchester United's history by The Athletic.
  • The ranking acknowledges his contributions during two spells at Old Trafford, including nine trophies won in his first stint.
  • Former teammates and staff highlighted his transformation from winger to goalscorer and his dedication.

Cristiano Ronaldo has secured the 10th spot in The Athletic's countdown of the 25 greatest players in Manchester United's history. The publication's football writer, Andy Mitten, recognized the Portuguese superstar's significant impact during his two separate periods at Old Trafford, particularly his role in the club's dominance under former manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s eyes that night were full of admiration for Ronaldo. I looked at him that night in the dressing room and saw how he realised that he had the best player in the world on his side.

— Patrice EvraRecalling Sir Alex Ferguson's reaction to Ronaldo's performance against Porto in the 2009 Champions League.

Ronaldo initially joined United in 2003, scoring 145 goals in 346 appearances before his record-breaking £80 million transfer to Real Madrid in 2009. During his first tenure, he amassed nine trophies, including three Premier League titles and the 2008 UEFA Champions League. His exceptional 2007-08 season saw him net 42 goals across all competitions, earning him the Ballon d’Or – the first United player to do so since the club's legendary trio of George Best, Denis Law, and Bobby Charlton.

Ferguson made him a killer, made him a man.

— Patrice EvraDescribing Sir Alex Ferguson's impact on Ronaldo's development into a top player.

His individual accolades from that period include the Premier League Player of the Season award for 2006-07 and 2007-08. He also achieved a unique feat in 2007 by becoming the first player to win the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year, Players' Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year, and Fans' Player of the Year awards in the same season.

He’d do stuff so good I couldn’t even work out how he did it.

— Gary NevillePraising Cristiano Ronaldo's extraordinary skills observed during training.

Former teammates and staff members reflected on Ronaldo's development. Patrice Evra credited Sir Alex Ferguson with transforming Ronaldo from a skillful winger into a prolific goalscorer, recalling Ferguson's admiration for a memorable long-range goal against Porto. Evra noted Ferguson's influence in making Ronaldo a "killer" and a "man." Gary Neville described Ronaldo's training skills as "extraordinary," while strength and conditioning coach Mike Clegg pointed to his unwavering dedication, professionalism, and meticulous attention to diet, recovery, and sleep as key factors in his sustained success. Ronaldo returned to Manchester United in 2021, adding 24 goals in his first season back.

Cristiano would come back into the gym and do power work for his legs. Then he would go home, eat the right food, swim, sleep… and come back in the next morning.

— Mike CleggHighlighting Cristiano Ronaldo's dedication and professional routine.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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