“He used to get called the ‘Derry Pele’” - Former teammate recalls how his dad believed ex-Celtic star had more ability than Cristiano Ronaldo

Lee McEvilly's father reckons Lee's former teammmate, Paddy McCourt, was more talented than Cristiano Ronaldo. The two Northern Irishmen were teammates at National League side Rochdale between 2001 and 2004.

Ronaldo, 40, first made his name as a world-class talent under the able tutelage of legendary Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson during his first stint at Old Trafford between 2003 and 2009.

More than a decade later, Ronaldo is now widely regarded as one of the best-ever to grace the game. However, McEvilly, a former centre-back, said that his dad thought that McCourt, nicknamed Derry Pele, was more naturally talented than Ronaldo and could weave magic with the ball on his feet, saying on the Football Historian podcast (as per Celticway)

"He used to get called the ‘Derry Pele’. Honest to God, my dad turned round and said, he had more ability than Ronaldo when he was at Man United. When the balls would come out (in pre-season), wow. He would send you dizzy. He was a magician."

McCourt, a former winger, registered 36 goals and 30 assists in 337 games across competitions for 10 different clubs, including Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion and Scottish giants Celtic. His most productive spell in terms of goals came with Celtic (10) across five seasons, winning consecutive league titles.

Cristiano Ronaldo equals FIFA World Cup qualifying record

More than two decades since making his senior debut, Cristiano Ronaldo continues to go strong. During the recently concluded September international break, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner scored in both games to create history.

Ronaldo netted twice in Portugal's 5-1 win at Armenia in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier before scoring once in a 3-2 victory at Hungary three days later. That strike at the Puskas Arena in Budapest was his 39th in World Cup qualifiers, going level with Guatemala's Carlos Ruiz for the most goals in qualifying.

The former Manchester United attacker now has 141 goals in 223 international games for Portugal, swelling his career goals tally to 943, 64 more than his arch-rival Lionel Messi, who has scored 36 times in World Cup qualifiers for Argentina.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 20 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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