"I didn’t make the right choices" - Cristiano Ronaldo's former Manchester United teammate opens up on troubled Red Devils stint
Cristiano Ronaldo's former Manchester United teammate Federico Macheda has acknowledged that he made a few wrong choices in his career. The Italian forward became the darling of the Old Trafford faithful after scoring a stunning winner against Aston Villa in March 2009.
The Portuguese's departure later that summer was supposed to open up space for Macheda to establish himself with the Red Devils. Unfortunately, it would not be the case, with the player failing to live up to expectations with Manchester United.
Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, the 33-year-old insisted that he wasn't helped by multiple loan stints during his time with the Red Devils.
“When you’re young and everything is going well, it’s hard to face reality. Today I can safely say that I didn’t make the right choices in that period of my life, but speaking with hindsight is easy,” said Macheda.
He continued:
“At 19, I went out on loan several times, even accepting six-month contracts. I put myself in situations where I had to prove everything in a short time."
He concluded:
“I also often found myself in the middle of complicated corporate moments. This unfortunate combo led me to take steps backwards. Despite the many falls, however, I always got back up and I take credit for that.”
During his time with the Premier League giants, Macheda went out on temporary moves to Sampdoria, Stuttgart, Birmingham City, Doncaster Rovers, and Queens Park Rangers. The player is currently with Greek side Asteras Tripolis.
While Macheda's time with Manchester United didn't live up to the billing, it is safe to say that Cristiano Ronaldo was an overwhelming success with the Old Trafford outfit.
How many goals has Cristiano Ronaldo scored for Manchester United?
Manchester United signed Cristiano Ronaldo as an unknown teenager in the summer of 2003. The Red Devils reportedly paid Sporting £12m for the Portuguese, who became the first footballer from the country to play for the club.
Cristiano Ronaldo was immediately handed the fabled No. 7 shirt, vacated by the legendary David Beckham. The Portuguese would go on to add more glory to the already famous shirt.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner initially left the Red Devils in 2009 to join Real Madrid. However, he would return to his old hunting ground for a brief second stint in 2021. When he ultimately left in December 2022, Ronaldo had amassed 145 goals and 64 assists from 346 games for Manchester United.