ISL 2017/18: 5 ISL players who played with Cristiano Ronaldo

Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most well-known personalities in the world of sport today, let alone football. He has dazzled fans all over the world with his supreme work ethic and consistent performances on the field in his long career, both club, and international football.

Ronaldo set the footballing world alight when he joined Manchester United from his homeland club Sporting Lisbon back in 2003. His exploits at the Theatre of Dreams earned him a lot of team as well as individual honours with the Red Devils, as he won three Premier League titles and a UEFA Champions League trophy as well.

Ronaldo topped it off with a Ballon d'Or in 2008 and then moved to Real Madrid in a then world-record transfer. He has continued his success at Los Blancos with two La Liga titles and three UEFA Champions League successes.

Indian Super League franchises have managed across the four seasons to sign players who have taken the field along with the Portuguese megastar. We take a look at five players who have had the fortune of sharing the pitch with one of the all-time greats.

#1 Simao Sabrosa

Simao Sabrosa, who was a longtime player with the Selecaos, played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo for a duration of seven years. The former Portuguese national team captain was signed by NorthEast United FC in the second season of the ISL as a marquee signing. He was sidelined at the start of the season with an unfortunate injury but later went on to play 10 league matches for the Highlanders scoring three goals.

The dynamic winger Sabrosa had begun his career at the same childhood club as Ronaldo, Sporting Club before moving to Spanish giants Barcelona. He had a distinguished career with spells at Benfica, Besiktas and Atletico Madrid.

#2 Marcos Tebar

Spanish playmaker Marcos Tebar came to India in 2016 when Delhi Dynamos signed him last season and this year, he moved to FC Pune City.

Tebar came up through the ranks at the Real Madrid academy turning out for the Real Madrid C and Real Madrid B sides, had a loan spell at Girona before returning back to Los Merengues. He was called up the main squad by Juande Ramos and made a couple of appearances for them in non-competitive matches, where he played alongside Ronaldo.

#3 Henrique Sereno

Henrique Sereno made his first appearance in the Indian Super League when he signed for Atletico de Kolkata last season. He had a fruitful run at the Kolkata side scoring in the final and winning the trophy that year. He signed for Chennaiyin FC this season and has been a major cog in the defence for the South Indian side.

Sereno played in Spain and Portugal in the initial years of his career, winning the Portuguese Primeira Liga with FC Porto in 2011. He played for Koln and Mainz in the German Bundesliga before coming to India.

Sereno earned a senior cap for Portugal in 2013 when he came on in the second half in an international friendly against Croatia. The match was decided by a goal scored by Ronaldo as Sereno capped off his lone appearance alongside CR7 with a win for his homeland.

#4 Dimitar Berbatov

Dimitar Berbatov became one of the marquee names to be attached with the Indian Super League when he was signed by Kerala Blasters FC this season on a one-year deal worth around ₹7.5 crore. However, his season was riddled with injury problems and he played just 9 matches in the league managing six shots and scoring one goal for the Blasters.

Berbatov moved to Manchester United in 2008 in a big-money transfer from London club Tottenham Hotspur and quickly formed a productive attacking trio at United with Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo. He played only one season with the Portuguese forward but it was a triumphant one as the Bulgarian won his first Premier League title.

#5 Wes Brown

English defender Wes Brown is the player on the list who has played the maximum number of matches with Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese forward's entire six-year term at Manchester United saw him turn out in a mammoth 153 matches alongside Brown. Brown won two Premier League titles and a UEFA Champions League trophy with the superstar.

Wes Brown was signed by two-time ISL finalists Kerala Blasters this season along with former Manchester United teammate Dimitar Berbatov. Brown formed a formidable partnership at the back with Indian international Sandesh Jhingan and played for 14 matches in the league after missing out initially with an injury.