At the age of 18, it is fair to say that Ronaldo only considered performing his skillful tricks during practice. However, a fight with a teammate soon motivated him to strive to be the best.
Sir Alex Ferguson had Ronaldo play for Old Trafford for six years.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, Cristiano Ronaldo's teammate at Manchester United, was once furious during practice due to Cristiano's special abilities, which made him react angrily.
In the summer of 2003, an 18-year-old Ronaldo had just completed a £12 million transfer from Sporting Lisbon to Old Trafford in order to succeed David Beckham and don the fabled number seven shirt. The incredibly talented child recognized an opportunity to simply do what he does best and demonstrate his abilities while in training. But in the process, the young man was unable to deliver a straightforward pass to the Dutch striker.
Rio Ferdinand, who played with Ronaldo for five years, recalled their altercation on the practice field. Ferdinand remarked on BT Sport last year, "He used to be snapped in training but I remember one time, I suppose it was a fantastic moment for him but he didn't take it too well. "At the time, Ruud [Van Nistelrooy] was in charge at United. He was the one who had scored every goal.
"And Ruud was advancing into the area while Ronaldo had the ball wide and was performing tricks, Ronaldo failed to pass and Ruud screamed uncontrollably. When Ruud went in off the practice field and stated, "He should be in the circus, he shouldn't be on the pitch," Ronaldo became agitated and irritated, asking, "Why is he talking to me like that?"
"He was either 18 or 19. Some children might have crumbled and lost confidence. Some would have continued acting in the same way, but Ronaldo realized that Ruud might be correct, and things started to revolve around stats, statistics, and goals. What would elevate him to the position of best player in the world?
"We used to make fun of him by telling him, "You are not the true No. 7 at the club, you've got George Best and Beckham,"he was contemplating "How can I derail them," as you could tell.
After his altercation with Ruud van Nistelrooy, Cristiano Ronaldo decided to concentrate on improving as a player.
Ferdinand thinks that after the incident, Ronaldo decided it was time to stop playing games and concentrate on improving himself. Ferdinand said, "It didn't happen right away, but he was incredibly skilled and he was there to entertain the crowd. He enjoyed practicing talents.
Ronaldo eventually transformed swiftly from a youngster to a man, 118 goals were scored in 292 games under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Ferdinand went on to say "When asked, "Who is the best player ever?" as we were leaving for a premiere, Ronaldo responded, "Me." He arrived [at United] as a young player and left as the best player in the world. He has an ego, but he also has pride and an obsessive nature."
In the meantime, Van Nistelrooy left United in 2006, moving for £10 million to Santiago Bernabeu after 219 appearances and 150 goals at Old Trafford.
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