They are among the club’s biggest profiles throughout history. Now Sir Alex Ferguson and Cristiano Ronaldo have talked about their time at Manchester United.
Cristiano Ronaldo has managed to make a name for himself after his comeback at Manchester United this season.
The Portuguese already had a high status in the club after the period under Sir Alex Ferguson over ten years ago, where the superstar developed a close relationship with the iconic coach.
Now the two have met for a chat ManUtd.com. There, the two Manchester United legends talk about the time Ronaldo arrived at the club as an 18-year-old.
– It was tough to come to England, without knowing the language. But Sir Alex helped both me and my family a lot, says Cristiano Ronaldo in the interview.
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– I lived out the dream
A young Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at Old Trafford in 2003, after impressing for Sporting Lisbon in his native Portugal.
– I felt that I was living my dream, when Sir Alex Ferguson himself wanted to talk to me. It was a very special day for me, a wow moment.
Ferguson himself tells of a conversation he remembers well, which he had with Ronaldo’s agent before the then 18-year-old’s transfer to Manchester United.
– We talked a lot about playing time, and I said that I could not promise that he played every single game. But should he prove to be good enough, I can not hold him back. You should always play with your best players.
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The story goes that the Portuguese started on the bench in the season opener, but came in and impressed everyone in the stands.
– He was simply absolutely exceptional. The fans loved him, so then we got into a difficult situation. Should we start him next match, or put him on the bench again? It was a big problem for us.
Ronaldo came into Manchester United’s 4-0 victory against Bolton in 2003, and impressed from day one.
Father’s illness
The two icons accomplished great things during their time in Manchester, and have kept in touch afterwards. The 37-year-old remembers having a special memory he remembers extra well from his former manager.
– My best memory with Sir Alex, was when my father was hospitalized. My family and I were having a hard time, and he saw it right away. It had nothing to say that we had several important matches this period, he left me with the family, he says.
And continues:
– It is for me the most important characteristic in a coach, that you can see football as something bigger than just football.
His father José Dinis Aveiro died in 2005, and thus never got to see his son’s insane achievements on the football field.
– I knew that Cristiano’s father was in hospital, and I knew it was important for him to be there. The club means nothing in that context, sometimes things are bigger than football. You should never put football in front of family, says Sir Alex Ferguson after the story his former student tells.
Cristiano Ronaldo has 13 goals in 19 games this season, and has at times been directly decisive for the last team in the Premier League and Champions League.
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