5 Manchester United flops who made their debuts in the same season as Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Manchester United sent many back in the timeline to the day he first arrived at the club. This time, the accompanying excitement was higher. The build-up to his signing, thanks to Manchester City's name being involved, was greater.
The young Portuguese forward who first ran at Old Trafford with the ambition to make it big is now an accomplished man, enjoying a sustained prime. He is way more mature than when he first left.
Cristiano Ronaldo's past only reflects more on the greatness of his journey. But in the early 2000s when the Portuguese first arrived, Manchester United was a dream destination for many.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been the best Manchester United transfer from 2003
It wasn't just him who had the opportunity to represent the Red Devils in the 2003/04 season. There were many others who made their debuts and got a run in the side. Such has been the impact of Cristiano Ronaldo on the club's history that even while revisiting the past, everyone else is only of vague importance.
Would you be able to recall the names of those that made their debuts in the same season as Cristiano Ronaldo? If you started watching football way later than that moment or have simply got no clue who those names could be, this list is for you. Here are five Manchester United flops that made their debut in the same season as CR7.
#5 Phil Bardsley
There's a lot of players who started at Manchester United but the early assessment for them was that they won't make it big at the club. Phil Bardsley belonged in the same category and is known today for his spells at Sunderland and Stoke City.
The right-back is currently serving at Burnley and notably has not been relegated despite playing for clubs who are currently not in the Premier League. The Scottish player made his debut in the same season as Cristiano Ronaldo in a League Cup game.
Having grown up at @ManUtd, there was only ever one candidate to be Phil Bardsley's #PL Idol... https://t.co/y4SLFe8ehF
He made 18 appearances for the Old Trafford side before permanently leaving in 2007. While he was at the club, he was sent away on as many as five loan spells. Sir Alex Ferguson has had multiple encounters with the fullback since he left and Bardsley has often talked about those.
When he made his debut, the Portuguese started as the winger ahead of him. Bardsley told the Manchester United podcast how Mick Phelan used to put him and Cristiano Ronaldo against each other, one vs one.
#4 Kléberson
It could be argued that Kleberson flopped at Manchester United due to the heavy weight of expectations. Sir Alex Ferguson and others expected him to walk in the shoes of legend Roy Keane and that was certainly a big ask. The Brazilian arrived in Manchester on the back of a World Cup triumph.
The then Brazil boss, Phil Scholari, hailed him as "the driving force" behind the team that sealed the world title. Despite his reputation being on the rise, Kleberson left Old Trafford after making 30 appearances over the course of two years.
ON THIS DAY: In 2003, Manchester United completed the signings of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kléberson.
Their careers went in complete opposite directions. https://t.co/BtRf9xaLoU
Kleberson told FourFourTwo magazine a couple of years ago that it was Ronaldinho who was responsible for his Old Trafford move. The Brazilian forward told his compatriot that Manchester United were looking to sign both of them. The midfielder was convinced and thought it would be great to sign alongside Ronaldinho.
But, the Brazilian legend was only playing a prank. He fooled his teammate into signing for the Red Devils and went on to play for Barcelona in Spain instead. Well, as fate would have it, Kleberson was bound to play with a superstar, be it Ronaldinho or Cristiano Ronaldo..