"Got to thank me a lot" – Phil Neville reveals why Cristiano Ronaldo should be grateful to him for Manchester United transfer

Phil Neville took a jibe at Cristiano Ronaldo and revealed how the Manchester United star should thank him for his move to Old Trafford.

Ronaldo's first stint with The Red Devils was an astounding success. Neville was part of the squad that went neck to neck against Sporting Lisbon in 2003. It's safe to say that the Portuguese prodigy bossed the fixture. However, Neville believes he played a massive role in Ronaldo's arrival at Manchester United.

Here's what he said:

"I think Cristiano's got to thank me a lot you know because I played in that game in Sporting Lisbon when he kept dancing past me down that wing,” Neville told Sky Sports.

He added:

“I played in that game and you witnessed in 90 minutes someone that was going to be very special, no doubt about it. And it's not often you can say that about someone. So I just hope he comes up to me after the game and says thanks for your efforts in helping me get where I am today."

Former Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre backed up Neville's story. He iterated how the 44-year-old did his best to convince Sir Alex Ferguson to sign Cristiano Ronaldo after the infamous clash.

Here's what he said:

"Phil Neville came straight off the pitch and walked up to Sir Alex in the dressing room. 'Boss, you have to sign him, you just have to!’ Sir Alex just said: ‘OK, OK, don't worry, we are going to get it sorted.'"

Neville and Silvestre's stories have been corroborated by Sir Alex Ferguson's account of Ronaldo's signing.

Here's what Sir Alex Ferguson told the club's website:

"After we played Sporting last week, the lads in the dressing room talked about him constantly, and on the plane back from the game they urged me to sign him. That's how highly they rated him."

Manchester United paid a fee round £13 million to make Cristiano Ronaldo the most expensive teenager in the history of British football at the time. The rest, as they say, is history.

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Cristiano Ronaldo spent six glorious years at Manchester United before signing for Real Madrid in 2009

Several English clubs, including Arsenal, were interested in signing the Portuguese prodigy. However, Manchester United won the race to bring Ronaldo to Old Trafford on a five-year contract.

Cristiano Ronaldo spent six glorious years with the Red Devils and played a pivotal role in helping United dominate football in England.

Ronaldo scored 118 goals in 292 appearances. He won three Premier league titles, two League Cups, the Champions League and the FA Cup under Sir Alex Ferguson between 2003 and 2009.

Cristiano Ronaldo started off his second stint with United in similar fashion and scored a brace in his first game. He has scored multiple clutch goals and won player of the month for Manchester United for two consecutive months. However, the Red Devils find themselves in turbulent waters.

They currently sit in sixth position and have won just two of their last six Premier League games. Manchester United return to league action on November 20 when they take on Watford in the hopes of turning things around.