"Almost choked on our food" – Former Liverpool boss recollects how Cristiano Ronaldo snubbed Anfield move for Manchester United in 2003

Liverpool were one of the Premier League clubs who tried to sign a young Cristiano Ronaldo from Sporting Lisbon in 2003. Unfortunately, the attacker dealt them a serious blow by snubbing them in favor of a switch to Manchester United.

Former Reds boss Phil Thompson has recalled how things unfolded at the time. The Englishman has revealed he went out for dinner with football agent Tony Henry in Portugal, where the pair discussed the details of a potential transfer for Cristiano Ronaldo.

The former Liverpool manager told The Athletic:

"I can still remember Tony's exact words. It was all very nice and relaxed. It's £4million and it can be paid over the four years of his contract, so £1million a year. That seemed very reasonable. Then I asked about the salary and Tony told me it was £1 million a year, net."

Following Thompson's meeting with Tony, Liverpool seemed to be on the right path to signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Sporting Lisbon. However, former Manchester United manager Sir. Alex Ferguson also entered the picture and convinced the attacker to choose the Red Devils instead.

In the end, Manchester United completed the signing of the winger in a deal worth £12.2 million on August 12, 2003. Thompson has revealed how he and former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard reacted to news of the transfer.

He said:

"On Tuesday morning, we were having lunch at the training ground and it came up on the yellow strap on Sky Sports, ' Manchester United have signed Cristiano Ronaldo for £12.2million.' Gerard and myself almost choked on our food. I can remember Gerard jumping up and saying, 'What the hell has gone on there?'"

Cristiano Ronaldo's rivalry with Liverpool has continued after his return to Manchester United this summer

Cristiano Ronaldo's numbers against Liverpool

So far in his career, Cristiano Ronaldo has played 13 games against Liverpool in all competitions - representing Manchester United and Real Madrid. The Portuguese has a superior record, bagging eight victories, one draw and four defeats from those encounters. He also recorded three goals and two assists to his name.

Meanwhile, it is worth noting that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner found himself on the losing side the last time he came up against Liverpool. The Reds earned a hugely impressive 5-0 triumph against Ronaldo's Manchester United in their first Premier League meeting of the season. The two clubs are scheduled to lock horns for the reverse fixture on March 19, 2022.