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Cristiano Ronaldo will be remembered as one of the greatest names in football folklore when he ultimately retires. The man from Portugal was born on February 5, but nobody would have known how special he was back then.
Over the years, as Ronaldo came through the ranks at Sporting, Manchester United were the first to take notice. What followed is a glittering career that has seen Cristiano Ronaldo don some of the most prestigious jerseys in the footballing world.
Cristiano Ronaldo also shares his birthday with many footballing greats
The following five names also have their birthdays on February 5. While the names are different from Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of playing styles and achievements, they're all footballers of the highest order in their rights.
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Some of these names are still actively playing, while others have retired following their exploits in the bygone era:
#5 Billy Sharp
Cristiano Ronaldo's greatest asset is his goal-scoring ability. Billy Sharp may not have achieved the same level, but he will be long remembered for his goal-scoring talents in the lower divisions of English footballers.
Sharp captains Championship side Sheffield United and has played in several lower tiers of English football clubs.
Sharp may have turned 36, but he is still one of the most important players at Sheffield. Throughout his career, Sharp has been known for his goal-scoring abilities.
His ability to play directly and physically makes it difficult for many opposition defenders. Even in the current campaign, Sharp has continued to play well.
He has played 29 games and has been involved in 15 goals. Sharp has scored nine goals on his own and assisted six others for his teammates this term. His performances will be essential if Sheffield United are to charge for direct promotion.
#4 Carlos Tevez
Carlos Tevez formed one of the best attacking combinations with Cristiano Ronaldo when they were at Manchester United. The Argentine had switched to the Premier League when he joined West Ham United. But there were controversies over his ownership status, which saw him move to Manchester United.
Manchester United fans will have bittersweet memories of Tevez. On the one hand, the Argentine played essential roles in the club's success, especially in the Champions League win in Moscow. However, he is disliked by the fans for his comments about Sir Alex Ferguson, with whom Tevez had a fallout.
All in all, Tevez had a successful career. He played an essential role in establishing Manchester City as a serious force and was one of the better players at Juventus. Tevez is currently without a club, having last played for Boca Juniors, but hasn't retired from the game.
#3 Giovanni van Bronckhorst
There are similarities between Van Bronckhorst and Cristiano Ronaldo despite the two footballers having contrastingly different styles. Both footballers played in England and then switched to La Liga. But while Cristiano Ronaldo became successful playing for Real Madrid, Van Brockhorst found success at Barcelona.
Van Bronckhorst is renowned for the attacking game he brought to the side-back position. While he was defensively sound, Van Bronckhorst was an able runner, and his attacking runs were a constant threat to the opposition defense. One of his best performances came in the successful Champions League campaign for Barcelona.
Since then, Van Bronckhorst, like Cristiano Ronaldo, decided to go back to his roots at where it all began. He played for Feyenoord before retiring and has since taken up a managerial role and is currently employed by Rangers.
#2 Gheorghe Hagi
Romania may not be a powerhouse of European football anymore, but it has given several stars. Gheorghe Hagi is the most remarkable shining example of those stars as the footballer was one of the biggest ones in his time. Like Cristiano Ronaldo, Hagi's exploits in La Liga are unforgettable.
Hagi could play in several positions, but his best position was the attacking midfield. He had the creativity to crack open the safest defenses and was not shy at trying to score by himself. Interestingly, Hagi is one of those many superstars who donned the jersey of both Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Hagi is now retired and working as a coach in football. His son Ianis Hagi continues his legacy as one of the upcoming talents in Europe. It will be interesting to see if Ianis can either match his father's legacy or Cristiano Ronaldo, for that matter.
#1 Neymar
Brazil has been a goldmine of attacking talent over the years, and one has to be unique to stand out among those talents. Neymar is special and showed his abilities when bursting through in Brazilian football. He also moved to the big scene of European football at a very young age, like Cristiano Ronaldo.
Real Madrid and Barcelona coveted Neymar's signature, but he chose the latter. Neymar's trickery, pace and guile are his most significant assets. At Camp Nou, he formed one of the greatest attacking trios with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
His exploits in Spain saw PSG smash the record to bring him to Paris in a mega-money deal worth €222 million.
Neymar has won several trophies throughout his career. However, he has yet to fulfill the dream to win the Champions League trophy with PSG. But irrespective of whether that happens or not, Neymar, like Cristiano Ronaldo, will be remembered as one of the greatest footballers of this generation.
