In an interview with The Mirror, Ryan Giggs has revealed that Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player he ever played with.
Giggs has etched himself into the memory of millions of football fans worldwide with his imperious performances for Manchester United during the 24 years he spent with the club. The player enjoyed a glorious time at Old Trafford, where he went on to lift every single trophy a player plying his trade in England could.
The Welshman was also privy to the exclusive company of some of the greatest footballers of all time in Eric Cantona, Bryan Robson, Paul Scholes and Roy Keane but he believes that Ronaldo stands out as the best player he ever featured with.
Also read: Ryan Giggs picks the best Manchester United XI he has played with
The Portuguese, who caught the attention of the legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson, while playing for Sporting Lisbon in a pre-season friendly against Manchester United, made the move to Old Trafford at the beginning of the 2003-04 season in what was then the record transfer fee of £12.24 million for a teenager. While there were no doubts about his abilities as one of the most promising players on the planet, he took some time adjusting to a new life in England.
However, once he was settled, there was no stopping the Portuguese has he helped Manchester United win 3 Premier League trophies, 3 Football League Cups, 1 FA Cup, 1 FA Community Shield, 1 UEFA Champions League as well as 1 FIFA Club World Cup.
Giggs, who has expressed his love for the player, revealed that Ronaldo always strived to be the best in the business and even to this day, is pushing himself to better his performances. The Welshman revealed, “People forget he had a difficult start, but he did – and still does – everything he can to be the best. He’s an unbelievable athlete and player – the best I played with.”
“He was really good to have around the dressing room – until you needed the mirror. First, it was Becks, who sat there, and, when Cristiano came, he replaced Becks next to the mirror. So, you could forget it if you wanted to use the mirror – you’d have to wait!” he added.
After a successful time in the Premier League, where he scored 118 goals and created several other during the 6 years he spent at Old Trafford, Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009 and has since gone to scale even greater heights with club as well as country.
Also read: Luis Figo tips Cristiano Ronaldo to win the Ballon d'Or
Giggs recently mentioned in another interview that he believed that the 31-year-old deserved to win the Ballon d'Or and his statement about the Portuguese comes within a month of the prestigious award ceremony, which will see Ronaldo go head to head with Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez in a bid to be declared the best player on the continent.
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