SUMMARY
- Ronaldo during the early years of his career at Manchester United used to play as a wide midfielder.
- Cristiano, during his midfield days, was so frightening that many PL defenders were scared of marking him.
Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t always play the attacking role that the fans know him for. The 38-year-old during the early years of his career at Manchester United used to play as a wide midfielder. CR7 formed a great partnership with legendary players like Ryan Giggs, Carlos Tevez, and Wayne Rooney who guided ‘ The Red Devils’ to many illustrious titles. Despite being a midfielder during that period, Cristiano’s scoring record shocked many soccer fans.
Grealish: “Greatest midfielder in Premier League history? Cristiano Ronaldo. His goal record[Being a Midfielder] in the Premier League was just scary.” pic.twitter.com/cac9XHJhjz
— CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) January 30, 2024
Cristiano, during his midfield days, was so frightening that many PL defenders were scared of marking him. The Portuguese captain had a unique blend of pace and technicality that could deceive fans. And these are the traits that impressed Man City’s Jack Grealish who made a shocking admission regarding CR7.
Jack Grealish believes Cristiano Ronaldo is the best midfielder in Premier League history
The Iris-born player believes that Cristiano’s impeccable scoring record despite being a midfielder makes the Al-Nassr player the best midfielder in PL history. Jack Grealish said, “Greatest midfielder in Premier League history? Cristiano Ronaldo. His goal record[Being a Midfielder] in the Premier League was just scary.” Grealish appreciated the versatility of the former Real Madrid as he transformed from a midfielder to a striker but didn’t let his game get affected.
Days without football: 4️⃣2️⃣
Cristiano Ronaldo scored 42 goals in 2007/08—his best season at United, and his first Ballon d’Or 🏆 pic.twitter.com/ofRJnOi0HK
— B/R Football (@brfootball) April 23, 2020
One can determine the greatness of the midfielder version of Cristiano Ronaldo by looking at his 2007/08 season records. Despite being a midfielder, the then-Manchester United player scored 42 goals and assisted another 8 in 49 appearances for the club. In doing so, he won the coveted Premier League and the first of his five UEFA Champions League titles. It was a great season for Cristiano Ronaldo on a personal level as well, as he went on to win the Ballon d’Or and the European and the PL Golden Boot awards.
Jack Grealish makes his top 10 PL midfielders list
BT Sports assigned Jack Grealish with the arduous task of naming the top 10 midfielders to ever play in England’s first division. The task is a mammoth one, considering the number of great midfielders gracing the English pitches. However, the Manchester City player did not hesitate to name the list and very sharply came up with the ten names. Jack Grealish was playing for Aston Villa back then.
The 28-year-old began by naming David Silva number 10, whom Grealish described as one of the best Spanish players to play in the league. Arsenal legend Patrick Viera, Gareth Bale, Cesc Fabregas, and Yaya Toure were the next inductees on the list.
The all-time top scorer of Chelsea, Frank Lampard made the list in fifth position while Ryan Giggs found himself in fourth. Kevin De Bruyne makes Jack Grealish’s top 3, who was the 28-year-old’s favorite player at the time. Jack Grealish also believed that people don’t give credit for KDB’s strength and pace and just look at his stats.
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard finished second on the list. The Former Liverpool legend scored 188 and assisted a further 157 in 710 appearances for ‘The Reds.’ And lastly, a frightening and high-scoring Cristiano Ronaldo made it to the top of Jack Grealish’s list.
