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Topics: Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson
John McDougall
Topics: Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson
A former Manchester United academy product has revealed Sir Alex Ferguson's reaction to how he treated Cristiano Ronaldo in the club's canteen.
Ronaldo arrived at United after a pre-season friendly for Sporting against his future side showcased his talents to a wide audience and Sir Alex moved to sign the teenager for £12.3m in the summer of 2003.
Ronaldo would go on to win three Premier League titles and the Champions League under Ferguson's management, also winning the first of his several Ballon d'Ors during his first spell at Old Trafford.
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The Portuguese star departed in the summer of 2009 after United accepted a then world record-shattering £80m for Ronaldo from Real Madrid.
Ronaldo spent more than a decade away from United at Real and Juventus, before re-joining the club in the summer of 2021.
However, his second spell at United did not go anywhere near as well as his first, and he left Old Trafford again near the end of 2022 following an explosive interview with Piers Morgan where he criticised many aspects of the club and then boss Erik ten Hag.
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Ronaldo later joined Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr, whom he still plays for to this day as he approaches his 40th birthday in early February.
A former United youth team star who rubbed shoulders with Ronaldo during his first Old Trafford spell has revealed how Sir Alex reacted to what many would think is a fairly innocuous incident between the pair.
Robbie Brady began his career at United and made just one appearance for the Old Trafford club before departing permanently for Hull City in 2013, having played for the Tigers before in two separate loan spells.
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Brady has since represented Norwich City, Burnley and Bournemouth and is currently on the books at Championship side Preston North End.
The Daily Star reports how Brady allowed Ronaldo to move ahead of him in the queue for food in the club canteen, before he was spoken to by Sir Alex and gave the Irishman a lecture on how he should not have let the best player in the world at the time go ahead of him - and it says a lot about the former United manager's mentality.
Brady said: "I thought I was being polite. I invited him to join the queue in front of me, and thought no more of it."
When Brady told Sir Alex about it, the legendary manager said: "I want you to think you’re better than him. I want you to believe that you can take his place in the team. I don’t want you to be subservient to him, don’t do it again."