'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has snubbed former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo when naming the best four finishers he has ever played with at the club. When asked the question, the Englishman instantaneously named Ruud van Nistelrooy his top pick.
After naming the Dutchman, Ferdinand said (per the club's official website):
"I think all the other strikers would say that as well, seriously."
Ferdinand further discussed the club's best finishers with former Manchester United star Owen Hargreaves. The duo did not mention Cristiano Ronaldo's name as they spoke about Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Andy Cole, Teddy Sheringham and Wayne Rooney.
Cristiano Ronaldo rose to stardom at Old Trafford and was an extremely lethal winger in the Premier League. The Portuguese international racked up 145 goals and 64 assists in 346 appearances across all competitions for the club, which is a testament to his abilities in front of goal.
He also had great success at Manchester United under legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who played a crucial role in the forward's development. Ronaldo won three Premier League titles, one UEFA Champions League, one FA Cup, two League Cups and his first Ballon d'Or during his first stint at the club.
However, his second time out at Old Trafford came crashing down after a massive fallout with the club. Cristiano Ronaldo did an explosive interview with English broadcast personality Piers Morgan where he slammed the club's owners, manager Erik ten Hag and former teammates Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney.
The Portuguese superstar is currently at Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr and seems to enjoy life in the Middle East. He has scored 10 goals and provided five assists in eight appearances in the Saudi Pro League.
"Sometimes you lose a few people" - Former Manchester United coach explains Cristiano Ronaldo's fallout with the club
Former Manchester United assistant manager Mike Phelan has explained why Cristiano Ronaldo's second stint at the club did not work out for all parties involved.
The Englishman revealed that the Portuguese international was rather opinionated, and his demanding nature lost the dressing room. Phelan told Sky Sports (as quoted by GOAL):
“The second time round, he came in a lot older and a lot more opinionated, strong-willed. He still had massively high standards and was terrific to work with. But I'd probably say a tougher mindset. He had been at Man United, he had been Portugal's ever-present, he had been at Madrid."
He added:
“I liked it because he didn't want his standards to drop, he wanted other people's standards to come up. And sometimes you lose a few people along the way when that happens. I remember certain times when he pushed and pushed hard, and he didn't get much reaction or much response. And there was frustration."
Phelan served two tenures as Manchester United's assistant manager, the first from 2008 to 2013. The Englishman coached Norwich and Hull City before returning to Old Trafford in 2018. He left the club four years later.
