"Sir Alex would always talk glowingly about him" - Cristiano Ronaldo's ex-Manchester United mate says he was 'the teacher's pet' during first stint

Ben Foster has opened up about his time with Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United. The former United goalkeeper hailed Ronaldo's professionalism but described him as ‘the teacher’s pet’ of Sir Alex Ferguson during the latter’s first stint at Old Trafford.

Cristiano Ronaldo joined Manchester United from Sporting CP in 2003 and would go on to transform into a world-beater under the tutelage of legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson. However, behind the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s successful stint in his first spell at Old Trafford were personal sacrifices he made achieve legendary status, according to Foster.

In a recent session on talkSPORT, Foster stated that Ronaldo’s work ethic and relentless pursuit of perfection made him a standout figure and earned him immense respect from Ferguson and teammates. Speaking on how driven Ronaldo was, Foster said:

"He was always on it. Absolutely always on it. First one in, last one to leave and I know that's so cliche and you hear everybody say it, oh my God, he's so professional. But he genuinely was; he was that guy. He was always in early doors, you'd get there, even I would get there sometimes earlier. He's already been there, he's already had all his rubs, his massages, he's in the gym activating, he's doing all his prehab, rehab work.

When asked whether Ronaldo went out with the United squad, Foster replied:

"No, no interest in it, honestly. He's not a drinker. Ronnie has got no inkling to want to get involved. He knew what it was. He knew that there would be people trying to expose him or take pictures or get him in an uncompromising anything. So, it just wasn't something that interested him.

"When it comes to the football and wanting to do it properly and working hard, he's there, he'll give you all of that. He might not want to get involved off the pitch with all the little bits and bobs but when it comes to football duty, training hard and doing everything professionally, he was top of the list.

Foster was asked whether Ronaldo was given any special treatment by Ferguson due to their strong connection.

"In the media, Sir Alex would always talk glowingly about Ronaldo, but it was always easy to because he was what he was. It was very obvious that he was definitely the teacher's pet,” he said. “Definitely a teacher's pet. It wasn't preferential treatment though, as it was so obvious how good he was, streets ahead of everyone else. You didn't need to give him that; he was just better."

“Nobody else can do this” – Former Manchester United goalie Ben Foster on Cristiano Ronaldo’s longevity

In the same segment, Ben Foster waxed lyrical about Cristiano Ronaldo’s longevity and urged ‘young kids’ to take a leaf out of the 40-year-old’s book. He said:

"I think it was Riyad Mahrez, they asked him if he would be playing in the next World Cup in four years' time and he kind of laughed it off and he said: 'I'm not Cristiano Ronaldo, come on'. But it's right though, nobody else can do this, what Cristiano has done, this level, maintain this level for this long. He is a freak but it's good to see.

"What it does go to show is for any young kids out there watching or listening, if you really apply yourself, if you really dedicate yourself and you really want something so badly, you can have such a big longevity in the game as well,"

While Ben Foster has since retired, Cristiano Ronaldo is still plying his trade with Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr. During their time together at Manchester United, the pair featured alongside each other seven times.