Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United and Gary Neville of Manchester United may now be in separate parts of the game, but they both had excellent careers on the pitch.
Gary Neville was a key figure in Cristiano Ronaldo's early Manchester United career.
Gary Neville was a key figure in Cristiano Ronaldo's early Manchester United career.
A sweet scene between Gary Neville and Cristiano Ronaldo during the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's first stay at Old Trafford has been re-shared on social media.
Ronaldo joined United in 2003 as an undiscovered talent after impressing renowned manager Sir Alex Ferguson during a friendly match against Sporting CP.
When he was 18, the future world-beater impressed in his debut season, receiving the man-of-the-match award in a win over Leicester City. The full-back dragged Ronaldo over to participate in the post-match media responsibilities during his post-match interview with Neville.
"Just say, 'I adore the game, and I dribble exceptionally good..." Prior to the interview, Neville made a joke with Ronaldo.
"He's really confident," he added of his young teammate. He's continuously vying for the ball. He dribbles at players, making it tough for them to play. Ian Walker had to make a lot of great stops from him tonight.
"It's easy for individuals to believe that settling in at this club is simple. He comes with a hefty price tag, despite the fact that he is just 18 years old. But coming from a different nation and adapting in such a way is wonderful. He's a fantastic player."
The relatively unknown youth was an uncut gem at the moment, having signed from Portugal for £12 million, a large sum at the time.
Ronaldo joined Real Madrid for a then-world-record sum five years after the interview with Sky Sports reporter Guy Havord.
Five Champions League winners' medals later, he made a remarkable comeback to the Theatre of Dreams 12 years later, after retiring at the age of 35 and moving into the media side of the game.
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