Ruud van Nistelrooy explains how Manchester United helped Cristiano Ronaldo become best in the world

Ronaldo won his first Ballon d’Or and Champions League at United.

Ruud van Nistelrooy reveals how the “greatest development” at Manchester United aided Cristiano Ronaldo in becoming “best in the world.”

When the Red Devils signed teenager Ronaldo in 2003, they already had a productive frontman in Van Nistelrooy at Old Trafford. It was stated that the Dutch striker made his Portuguese colleague’s life difficult by causing arguments on the training field that left CR7 in tears.

Nevertheless, Ronaldo was willing to put in a lot of effort to maximize his skill, and even at forty, his unwavering quest for excellence is still paying off. For Al-Nassr of the Saudi Pro League and his nation, the all-time great continues to be a talismanic presence.

The former United player, who is currently manager of Leicester, says among the most promising players he has seen, Van Nistelrooy is not shocked by Ronaldo’s performance and longevity:

“There are so many – but seeing a young Cristiano Ronaldo come into the Manchester United dressing room and develop, within three years, into the best player in the world, was the greatest development I’ve ever seen.

“So if you see how he works, how he lives his life to be the best he can be – that’s the elite standard. He came into our dressing room with those standards, and he’s said in interviews, I came into that dressing room and I had to live up to those standards every day.

“He was open to learn and improve, and he worked and worked and worked every day, on the pitch, in the gym, in the recovery sessions, in his food, in his treatment. When you have seen those standards at the highest level, and you experience what that is – there are not many players who know that – so I was lucky.”

While playing for United, Ronaldo lifted his first Champions League title and the Ballon d’Or. He has since become the best goal scorer in history, and he plans to reach 1,000 goals in that category before considering retirement.

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