The year was 2003 and David Beckham had not long left the number seven shirt free after leaving Manchester United and all of sudden, clubs around Europe were gunning for an 18-year-old set to be a great talent with Sir Alex Ferguson pulling out all his tricks to get the deal done.
United were playing Sporting Lisbon to open up the new Estádio José Alvalade as the home of Ronaldo’s then-team. Barcelona, Arsenal, Liverpool and Juventus were all seeking his signature that summer for the man Ferguson labelled at the time “one of the most exciting young players" he had ever seen.
After the game, the United boss refused to leave Lisbon without the deal sone, leaving superstar names like Ruud van Nistlerrooy, Rio Ferdinand, and Paul Scholes waiting on the coach to get the £12.24m deal done for a kid who at the time had one season in professional football, compared to Champions League and Premier League medals scattered everywhere of those waiting to get back home to Manchester.
"He's been my father in sport, one of the most important and influential factors in my career,” said Ronaldo back in 2009. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner would echo these words further in a recent interview between the pair, which was the first time they had been captured together in United colours since 2009.
Learning English, the devastating leaps into the box, the unrivalled work ethic and determination: all of it was formed in Manchester under the wings of the legendary Ferguson.
Of course, Ronaldo could have still hit the heights of a Ballon d’Or winner at places like Arsenal, however, there was something special about the Ferguson-Ronaldo connection.
The Scotsman’s desire and intelligence to work with young players and keep them grounded is the stuff of legends and Ferguson’s blueprint to guide young talents like the ex-Sporting man will be copied for decades to come. Moreover, on the domestic front, their time together remains one of United’s most dominant in history.
The club would win three Premier League titles in a row, which no club has ever been able to do before. An FA Cup would come in his first season with the Red Devils too, where he even scored in the final against Millwall. Ronaldo also bagged two League Cups under Sir Alex's leadership, and with the Champions League also coming in 2008, when he headed to Madrid at 25, he was already incredibly successful.
👀 Miss the 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄 with Sir Alex and @Cristiano on Friday?
It’s a relationship that has shaped the game, and only optimised just how focus and work ethic combined with genius makes for a deadly combination in football.
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