Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has shed light on how iconic striker Cristiano Ronaldo evolved from a 'showman' to the 'best player in the world' at Old Trafford.
Cristiano Ronaldo is undoubtedly one of the greatest footballers of this generation. The legendary striker has had a massive impact on the sport and won the hearts of millions over the years with his exciting gameplay and prolific striking capabilities. The Manchester United icon may be going through a rough patch this season, but there is no doubt that the Portuguese superstar can turn a game around even today. Former Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has shed light on the 37-year-old's evolution from a 'showman' to becoming 'the best player in the world' at Old Trafford.
Ronaldo was a teenager when Sir Alex Ferguson signed him for Manchester United, and in no time, the Portugal talisman impressed with his impeccable footwork. Over the years at Old Trafford, the striker developed his game to become a sensational goalscoring machine.
During his first spell with the Red Devils, Ronaldo scored 118 goals, including a 42-goal campaign in 2007-08 that saw Manchester United clinch a Premier League double and Champions League. The Portuguese icon also bagged the Ballon d'Or award for the first time. He has five in total.
In 2009, Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid for a world-record deal of 80 million pounds and became the Los Blancos all-time record goalscorer with 450 goals from 438 appearances. The Portugal legend moved to Juventus in 2018 and scored 101 goals from 134 appearances for the Serie A giants.
After over a decade, Ronaldo returned to Manchester United last summer and became the club's top scorer last season with 24 goals across competitions. Legendary defender and football pundit Rio Ferdinand recently discussed the forward's illustrious career and how he evolved to become one of the greatest strikers of all time.
"The Ronaldo that people have seen the last four, five or six years is not the Ronaldo who came to United. He was a showman. People would come to the stadium going 'I have come to see Ronaldo get me off my seat today'. That's what it was like," Ferdinand told William Hill.
"Now, at the back end of his career, it's like 'I'm coming to see a moment in the game, where he (Ronaldo) decides the game'. Whereas before, he could give you five, six, seven, eight, nine or 10 moments in the game, because he was just pure skill," the former Manchester United defender added.
"He (Ronaldo) might score, he might set one up, but it was just about making someone look stupid, he wanted to embarrass people, he was a joke, man, an unbelievable player," Ferdinand added.
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"But he (Ronaldo) got kicked enough in training and drilled enough in training by us, that got him to a place where he understood that, actually, end product overrides everything. You can entertain to a certain extent, but you need an end product – and he left us as the best player in the world," Ferdinand concluded.
All eyes will be on the Portugal icon when he leads his country in the weekend's UEFA Nations League clash against the Czech Republic. Ronaldo also hopes to have a successful campaign in the upcoming Qatar World Cup 2022, starting November 20.
As for Manchester United, the 37-year-old will expect to be part of Erik ten Hag's starting XI in not just Europa League clashes but Premier League games also. Time will tell if the Dutchman trusts this Old Trafford legend to fire the Red Devils to a spot in next year's Champions League season.