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Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville believes Cristiano Ronaldo is targeting Pelé’s goal record and called the Juventus striker’s drive “out of this world.”
The Sky Sports expert spoke about the time he spent with CR7 in Manchester and the role that the United manager and his assistant had in the Portuguese legend.
“Sir Alex Ferguson and Carlos Queiroz, I think it is important to put Carlos Queiroz in the category with Sir Alex, they were both his champions, they both believed in him,” Neville told Sky.
“I think Ronaldo returned from the World Cup that summer, it was as if everything had changed. His maturity and his decision making, which was a great thing, his experience, his physical attributes had completely changed overnight.
“It happened from someone who, if you look at his first photos at Manchester United, was skinny, really thin, nervous, he didn’t look very strong.”
“Suddenly, I think it was after that 2006 World Cup, he came back as a super middleweight boxer. His body had completely transformed, it was absolutely incredible.
“From a strength point of view and a plyometric point of view, the ability to jump, the ability to score with the head, the ability to change direction, everything seems to fit. It was just a maturity, physical, mental, everything happened to him.
“It was brilliant to watch, there was a time when I remember going to the gym after a training session and talking to Mike Clegg [United’s strength and conditioning coach] who worked very hard with Cristiano physically in the gym and said: “I don’t know what to do next.”
Juventus Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after opening the scoring during the round of 8 Italian Cup (Coppa Italia) football matches Juventus vs AS Roma on January 22, 2020 at Juventus Stadium in Turin . (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP) (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP via Getty Images)
“You didn’t know where he was going to be on the defensive, you didn’t know 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 just erratic.
“But they had great faith in him, Sir Alex Ferguson and Carlos Queiroz, and they believed in him, they put him in front of the players who had a higher reputation at the time and he became something brilliant.”
“His impulse was to leave this world to become the best in the world. He is one of the few players I have ever played with who would publicly announce that individual trophies were important to him.
“He just wanted to be the best, the best in the world and it’s very important to him.
“It is an obsession. Absolute obsession with scoring goals. Applying himself every day, being the fittest he can be. I think he has increased his professionalism every year and progressed.
“Jamie [Carragher] Mentioned before about James Milner wanting to play until his 30s and 40s. I think he [Ronaldo] He has a plan to continue and take over Pelé’s record.
“I really think he wants to follow and beat Pele’s numbers.
“That’s where I think he’s on his mind, he wants to be the best of all time, that’s his only purpose, to understand that on the road if he’s the best of all time, the teams he plays for will win trophies.” and be successful. “
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