5 players who failed to live up to expectations after being dubbed as the next Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably one of the finest players to have graced the beautiful game.
During an illustrious career for club and country, he has scored goals and won big titles galore. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is still going strong at the age of 36, having recently returned to Manchester United after 12 years.
A prolific two-footed scorer, Ronaldo is known for his aerial prowess and versatility across the attacking third. Unsurprisingly, many players, most of them from Portugal, over the years, have been compared with Ronaldo. However, no one has come close to matching his exploits.
On that note, here's a look at five such players (in no particular order) who were dubbed the next Cristiano Ronaldo, but failed to live up to expectations. Without further ado, let's get started:
#5 Gabriel Obertan
After Cristiano Ronaldo left Manchester United in the summer of 2009, Gabriel Obertan was signed as a like-for-like replacement. Obertan was a raw talent at the time and was pursued by the likes of AC Milan and Barcelona, among others.
Obertan had said on his arrival at Old Trafford:
"Ferguson has put me at ease. He said to me that he knows my pros and cons. It's my potential that interests him. He has confidence in me. It is flattering and surprising. “But I know I still have a lot of work to do to get to Ronaldo's level."
However, the former Bordeaux winger never adapted to English football, despite receiving rave reviews for his performances in France. Obertan scored just nine times in two seasons before he was shipped off to Newcastle United.
Gabriel Obertan - the £3million signing who was compared to Cristiano Ronaldo... and it ended in failure #mufc manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football…
Perhaps his move to United came too soon, or the step up from Ligue 1 to the Premier League was too steep for Obertan to bridge. A decade later, the 32-year-old plies his trade for Charlotte Independence in the American second division.
#4 Alvaro Vadillo
Former Real Betis winger Alvaro Vadillo was touted as the next Cristiano Ronaldo when he first arrived on the scene in 2011.
However, the 'next Ronaldo' tag has weighed heavily on the Spaniard, who has also been plagued by injuries over the years. The now 26-year-old, who is also a left winger like Ronaldo, has struggled to emulate the exploits of the Portuguese.
"The Spanish Cristiano Ronaldo" Álvaro Vadillo facing off against "The Argentinian Cristiano Ronaldo" Lucas Ocampos now as Granada face Sevilla. Both with bleached hair. Of course https://t.co/o5f3fGuAUA
Vadillo has played over 200 games across age groups for six different clubs. But he has only managed modest returns of 20 goals and 28 assists. Once a target for Manchester United, Vadillo now plies his trade in Spain's Segunda Division with Espanyol.