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#3 Henrik Larsson | Manchester United
Henrik Larsson might have spent only a couple of months at Manchester United, but the impact he had at the club during that time was simply incredible.
The then-34-year-old, who had just finished the domestic campaign with Helsingborgs in his homeland, was brought in by Manchester United on a short-term deal. It was Larsson's final venture into the top tier of European football, and he impressed profoundly during his time with the Red Devils.
It was during this spell that the Swedish legend played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. He shared the stage with the Portuguese on 11 occasions, and Cristiano Ronaldo assisted Larsson's goal in the veteran centre-forward's last appearance at Old Trafford in a UCL game against Lille.
The 49-year-old is currently working alongside his former Feyenoord teammate Ronald Koeman as an assistant at Barcelona, with whom he won two LaLiga titles in two years. Larsson also assisted both of Barcelona's goals in the 2006 UCL final.
#2 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer | Manchester United
Before he took over at Manchester United as head coach, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was a firm fan favorite. The Norwegian striker was one of Sir Alex Ferguson's go-to game-changers off the bench as he scored a goal every 92.9 minutes for the Red Devils as a substitute.
Solskjaer was part of the same squad as Cristiano Ronaldo for just over four seasons towards the end of his career, while the Portuguese was still just a wiry yet impressive teenager. They spent just over 1,000 minutes on the pitch together across 32 games, during which they combined for four goals across all competitions. Solskjaer revealed his admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo, saying;
"Having played with him, I could always see the desire in Cristiano from his early days. We would need to guide him once in a while but he always wanted to be the best in the world and would never let anyone come between him and his goal. That says a lot about his tough mentality."
The Norwegian worked with Cristiano Ronaldo as part of the backroom staff even after his retirement. The Portuguese also had great things to say about Solskjaer. He expressed;
"He’s very good. I look for Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] like a man, not just coach now. He’s a fantastic guy and I have a great relationship with him."
Solskjaer even revealed later on that he had consulted Cristiano Ronaldo prior to signing his compatriot, Bruno Fernandes, from his former club Sporting CP.
#1 Gerard Pique | Manchester United
Barcelona legend Gerard Pique might have had his fair share of tussles with Cristiano Ronaldo on and off the pitch over the years, but he is one of the only few footballers fortunate enough to play alongside him and Leo Messi at club level. The Spanish defender spent four years on the books of Manchester United during which he lined up next to Cristiano Ronaldo.
The pair featured on the pitch together on 15 occasions during his short-lived time at the club, during which he won the Premier League and the UCL, before he returned to his boyhood club Barcelona. It was with the Catalan giants that Pique made a name for himself as one of the best defenders of his generation, winning a staggering eight LaLiga titles and three UCLs with them.
Although Pique also went on to have a number of battles with Cristiano Ronaldo upon the latter's move to Real Madrid, he holds the Portuguese in high regard. Speaking on his time playing with him at Old Trafford, he expressed;
"As a team-mate, Cristiano Ronaldo is a perfect ‘10’. I admire him professionally because he sets an example to follow both as a player and as a person."
Overall, Pique played 23 times for Manchester United and went on to make 559 appearances for Barcelona.
Also read: Top 10 strikers in the world this season (2020/21)
