Rio Ferdinand, the England international, devoted a segment of his podcast, Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE, to discussing Cristiano Ronaldo as the latest topic of discussion. Ferdinand delved into the subject of the top five Wonder-kid in soccer, with Ronaldo being one of the focal points.
During the podcast, several renowned names were mentioned, including Wayne Rooney, Ravel Morrison, Joe Cole, and Michael Owen. The conversation culminated with Cristiano Ronaldo, as Rio Ferdinand shared his initial impression of the legendary Portuguese player.
Rio Ferdinand recalled the incident, stating, “After America, we made a stop at Sporting Lisbon to inaugurate their new stadium. The pitch resembled a sandpit, but Cristiano Ronaldo was effortlessly gliding across the water. He had John O’Shea performing stepovers without the ball, leaving him gasping for breath and in need of an oxygen tank at halftime.”
The incident took place during the summer of 2003 when Manchester United faced Sporting Lisbon. It was a friendly match at Sporting’s new stadium. Ronaldo, the promising teenage talent at Sporting, was pitted against John O’Shea, the right-back for Manchester United at the time.
Rio Ferdinand reminisced about how astonishing Cristiano Ronaldo’s performance was during the 45 minutes he played on a less-than-ideal pitch. Despite the conditions, Ronaldo’s skills left a lasting impression on Ferdinand. The former Manchester United defender concluded the podcast by revealing that Ronaldo’s display convinced Sir Alex Ferguson to sign the winger in the summer of 2003.
Ronaldinho’s U-turn helped Manchester United sign Cristiano Ronaldo in 2003
During the summer of 2003, Ronaldinho, who was playing for PSG at the time, confided in his international teammate Kleberson about the possibility of a move to Manchester United.
Kleberson, in an interview with Ladbrokes: Fanzone, revealed, “We played a friendly against France and Man United representatives were there watching the game. When I spoke with them afterwards, they told me they were watching myself and Ronaldinho. He was close to joining them with me.”
Kleberson was already a player at Manchester United during that time. He expressed his excitement upon hearing the news as he wanted to play alongside Ronaldinho at the club.
By 2002, Ronaldinho was already a World Cup winner. He would have been a highly anticipated and sensational signing for Manchester United. Instead, the potential transfer fell through at the last moment when Ronaldinho opted to join FC Barcelona instead. As a result, Sir Alex Ferguson shifted his focus to Ronaldo.
The Portuguese winger, who was a teenager at the time, left a lasting impression on both the Manchester United squad and Sir Alex himself with his outstanding performance against them in a friendly match.
United secured the signing of the winger in the summer of 2003, and from that point on, history was made. Meanwhile, Ronaldinho’s move to Barcelona proved to be a triumph. He played a crucial role in winning the 2006 UEFA Champions League.
Similarly, Ronaldo contributed significantly to Manchester United’s success. Ronaldo helped them secure numerous titles, including several Premier League championships and the 2008 UEFA Champions League title.