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Looking back now, it is remarkable to consider the path Cristiano Ronaldo has taken since joining Man Utd.
Signed for £ 12.5 million by Sir Alex Ferguson of Sporting Lisbon in 2003, Ronaldo’s reputation as one of the world’s most popular stars already preceded him.
But the raw young talent, heralded as David Beckham’s successor, didn’t immediately trigger the pulses at Old Trafford.
His skill and talent were obvious, but it took Ronaldo a few seasons to really get to his rhythm.
Although former teammate Gary Neville revealed that United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and assistant Carlos Queiroz always knew that Ronaldo was ready for the top, he pointed to the moment when it started to come true for the Portuguese star. .
(Image: AFP)
“They were both champions of him. They both believed in him,” Neville told Sky Sports. “The [Ronaldo] returned from the World Cup that summer [2006], it was as if everything had changed. His maturity and decision making, which was a great thing, his experience, his physical attributes changed completely overnight.
“It happened from someone who, if you look at his first photos at United, was skinny, really thin, nervous, he didn’t seem very strong.”
“Then all of a sudden I think it was after that 2006 World Cup, he came back as a super middleweight boxer.”
“His body was completely transformed, it was absolutely incredible and from a point of view of strength, and from a plyometric point of view, the ability to jump, to head, change direction, everything seemed to fit.”
“Just a maturity, physical, mental. And from that moment you knew it was going to be something very, very special.”
Ronaldo, who signed the back of his performance against United during a preseason game, is said to have worked 24 hours to improve his physique and skills.
And Neville even admitted that he had previously had his own doubts after the striker.
“It was brilliant to watch because there was a point where I remember going into the gym after a training session, talking to Mike Clegg, who worked really hard with Cristiano physically in the gym and saying, ‘I don’t know what he’s going to do. Do the next ‘.
“You didn’t know where he was going to be on the defensive, when he was going to throw the ball, the players in the middle of the box didn’t know when he was going to cross it. It was erratic.”
“But they had great faith in him, Sir Alex Ferguson, Carlos Queiroz, and they believed in him, they pushed him forward in front of players who potentially had a higher reputation at the time and he eventually became something that was absolutely brilliant.” “
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