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Roy Keane has suggested that Cristiano Ronaldo was tipped for greatness by Manchester United players when he first made his move to the club in 2003.
The former Manchester United captain recently picked the best XI to have played for the Red Devils in the Premier League era. He extraordinarily left out the trio of Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes and Eric Cantona.
Ronaldo made the team alongside Wayne Rooney up front. Peter Schmeichel was Keane's pick between the sticks, with Gary Neville, Gary Pallister, Jaap Stam and Denis Irwin as the back four. David Beckham, Paul Ince, Bryan Robson and Ryan Giggs were chosen in midfield.
Ronaldo is the only member of the current Manchester United team to be included in Keane's all-time Premier League XI for the Red Devils.
Keane claimed that Ronaldo was tipped for greatness when he moved to Old Trafford as a 17-year-old in 2003.
The 50-year-old said on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football (as quoted by The Daily Mail):
"Did we all say in the dressing room, when he was 17, that he was going to go so far? No."
"But did we all think he had a chance of being one of the greatest players ever? Yes."
"A lot happen - injuries, distractions - but for all his off-field stuff, I didn't ever feel at United that he was getting distracted by that."
Cristiano Ronaldo remains the best player at Manchester United even in the twilight of his career
Cristiano Ronaldo has dominated football for so many years and has cemented himself as one of the greatest players in the history of the game.
Even at the age of 37, the Portuguese ace continues to be the difference-maker for Manchester United.
This has been a season to forget for the Red Devils, but it could have been a lot worse if not for the 37-year-old.
Ronaldo has scored 24 goals and provided three assists in 38 games for the club in all competitions this season.
When Erik ten Hag takes charge at Old Trafford in the summer, he will definitely look to keep Ronaldo as the cornerstone of his attack.
