Ronaldo Named 10th Best Player in Manchester United History

Cristiano Ronaldo has been named the 10th greatest player in Manchester United’s history. This ranking comes from The Athletic in its list of the club’s top 25 footballers.

Football writer Andy Mitten published the ranking on Wednesday. He noted Ronaldo’s achievements during his two times at Old Trafford. Ronaldo played a key role in United’s success in English and European football under former manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Ronaldo joined Manchester United from Sporting CP in 2003. He made 346 appearances and scored 145 goals before moving to Real Madrid for £80 million in 2009. This transfer remains the biggest sale in the club’s history.

During his first time at Old Trafford, the Portugal captain won nine trophies. This included three Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League in 2008.

His amazing 2007-08 season saw him score 42 goals across all competitions. He netted 31 goals in the Premier League, helping United win the league title and the Champions League.

That season also earned him the Ballon d’Or. He became the first United player to win the award since George Best, Denis Law, and Bobby Charlton.

The Athletic pointed out Ronaldo’s individual awards. He won the Premier League Player of the Season award in 2006-07 and 2007-08.

In 2007, he also became 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 one season.

Former United defender Patrice Evra praised Ferguson for changing Ronaldo from a talented winger to a top goalscorer. Evra recalled, “Sir Alex Ferguson’s eyes that night were full of admiration for Ronaldo,” referring to Ronaldo’s long-range goal against Porto in the 2009 Champions League.

Evra said, “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.”

Evra also mentioned that Ferguson encouraged Ronaldo to focus on scoring rather than just showing off his skills. He said, “Ferguson made him a killer, made him a man.”

Former United captain Gary Neville spoke highly of Ronaldo’s skills in training. He called Ronaldo's ability extraordinary. “He’d do stuff so good I couldn’t even work out how he did it,” Neville wrote in his autobiography.

Mike Clegg, United’s former strength and conditioning coach, highlighted Ronaldo’s hard work and professionalism. “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,” Clegg said.

Ronaldo returned to Manchester United in 2021 after successful times with Real Madrid and Juventus. He scored 24 goals in his first season back.

But his second spell ended in November 2022 after a public disagreement with the club, leading to his exit.

Despite the way it ended, The Athletic said Ronaldo’s first time at Old Trafford remains the best part of his United career. They described him as the most talented player in a team that became the best in the world in 2008.

The publication added that Ronaldo could have ranked higher on this list if he had stayed at Manchester United instead of joining Real Madrid.