Cristiano Ronaldo is an idol for many young Manchester United players. Many of the players who today carry forward the legacy of the historic English club look up to Ronaldo. Marcus Rashford and Brandon Williams are two of the many names among those players. During an interview, Rashford and Williams revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo is the name that pops up in their head when they see the iconic Red Devils jersey.
Marcus Rashford and Brandon Williams recently appeared in an interview with Stadium Astro. During the interview, Rashford and Williams were shown the iconic 2007-08 Manchester United kit. The United duo was then asked about the first player they thought of after seeing that kit. Rashford immediately said, “Ronaldo,” followed by Williams, who said, “same.”
The first player you think of when you see this shirt?
Rashford: “Ronaldo”
Williams: “Same”pic.twitter.com/RU0zxcUz1I— CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) February 22, 2023
The 2007-08 season was a historic one for both Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United. Ronaldo led United to its 10th Premier League title and 3rd UEFA Champions League title that year. Individually, that year was a memorable one for the Portuguese star as well. The year 2008 marked Cristiano Ronaldo’s first Ballon d’Or win when he beat Lionel Messi and Liverpool’s Fernando Torres to the award.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s legacy at Manchester United
Cristiano Ronaldo will go down as one of the greatest Manchester United players of all time. Ronaldo’s legacy at Manchester United is a story of both ups and downs. Ronaldo’s talent was spotted by legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson during a friendly between United and Sporting Lisbon. United bought Ronaldo for about $14 million, which made him the most expensive teenager in the history of soccer at that time.
These pictures of Cristiano Ronaldo in his Man Utd debut season are something else 🔥 pic.twitter.com/8zF7d28BBs
— TCR. (@TeamCRonaldo) September 9, 2021
During his first stint at the club (2003 to 2009), Ronaldo won 3 Premier League titles, 1 Champions League title, and 1 FIFA Club World Cup title. The former Real Madrid star also won 2 EFL Cups, 1 FA Cup, and 1 FA Community Shield. In addition to this, Ronaldo also won the PFA’s Player of the Year, Premier League Player of the Season, and the Premier League Golden Boot in 2007.
Ronaldo finally returned to Old Trafford for his second stint 12 years after he left the club in 2021. However, this time, Ronaldo’s story didn’t have a fairytale-like ending. Ronaldo’s legacy at Manchester United ended with his bombshell interview with Piers Morgan. The second stint ultimately ended up besmirching Ronaldo’s legacy at United.
Currently, it seems that Ronaldo has no love left for his former club. However, it would be fair to say that even after the way things ended, Cristiano Ronaldo’s name will always be etched on the pages of Manchester United. Even today, Ronaldo acts as an idol for many United players like Rashford, Williams, Alejandro Garnacho, and many more.