Former Manchester United player and Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo is undoubtedly one of the greatest players in the world. His passion and incredible skills make him different from everyone else, and the striker is one of his kind.
Cristiano Ronaldo is appreciated by his teammates as well as his fans. Everyone knows that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has amazing game sense that can help his team in a moment of crisis. While many may believe that Ronaldo is the very best, his former teammate, Roy Keane, has different opinions.
Roy Keane omits Cristiano Ronaldo from his top five list
Roy Keane joined Manchester United in 1993. During his time at the club, he made 326 appearances and scored 33 goals. In 2019, Roy Keane made an appearance in a Sky Sports interview with Jamie Carragher. The topic of world-class players came up, and Keane was asked which of his teammates would fit this category. The 52-year-old took on many names. Cristiano Ronaldo was not one of them.
Roy Keane said that he considers those players to be world-class players whose performances have been consistent for years. He criticized new players who start appreciating themselves after one good month. “I always class the world-class players as lads who have been doing it for nine, ten, or 11 years. You’ve got to be consistent. We see players now; they have had a good month, and they are patting themselves on the back,” he said.
Keane’s first choice for the list was Ryan Giggs: “You have to be good for years and years, and Giggsy would have been a prime example.” Others, like Paul Scholes, Eric Cantona, Mark Hughes, and Denis Irwin, were also included in the list. The Irish international left United two years before Cristiano Ronaldo won the Ballon d’Or. Maybe that is the reason why the Portuguese’s name did not cross his mind.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s relationship with Roy Keane
Cristiano Ronaldo came back to Old Trafford where it all started for him in August 2021. The Portuguese icon was welcomed by the fans, but soon things started to fall apart. The Manchester United legend faced immense criticism and eventually fell apart with manager Erik Ten Hag. His former teammates, Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville, also turned against him, and started calling his behaviour “unacceptable”.
In an interview with Piers Morgan, Cristiano Ronaldo opened up about his Manchester United return. He expressed his views about the hate he received and also talked about how Roy Keane supported him. The top international goal scorer said that Keane is a part of his football journey. He even admitted that Roy Keane is the best captain he has ever had: “As I mentioned many times, Roy Keane was, for me, my best captain ever”.
Cristiano Ronaldo was not as great as he is now during the time he played under Roy Keane, but the former Los Blancos player has come a long way since. What do you think of CR7’s relationship with his former captain? Do tell us in the comments section.
