“He does not give you a second to breathe” - When Cristiano Ronaldo named toughest opponent of his career
Cristiano Ronaldo had once named Chelsea full-back Ashley Cole as the toughest opponent he had ever faced. Ronaldo has rightfully established himself as one of the greatest footballers to have graced the game. A five-time Ballon d'Or winner, the Portugal icon is still at the top of his game even at the age of 39.
Now plying his trade for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, Ronaldo has come across most of the top defenders over two decades. While naming his toughest opponent ever, the former Manchester United attacker named Premier League great Ashley Cole.
During his early days as a footballer when he was on the books of Manchester United, Ronaldo played mostly on the right flank. Quite naturally, he had to face Cole a number of times while facing Arsenal and Chelsea.
Regarded as arguably the best left-back of the Premier League era, Cole was exceptional defensively and also used to be a force while going forward. Naming the England great as his toughest opponent, Ronaldo told Coach Mag as quoted by SPORTbible:
"Over the years I had some great battles with Ashley Cole. He does not give you a second to breathe. He was such a tenacious player when he was at his peak, quick, tough in the tackle. You knew it would never be an easy game."
Cristiano Ronaldo faced Ashley Cole a total of 14 times for club and country combined in his career. The Portuguese superstar finished on the winning side eight times and lost just thrice while three games ended in stalemates.
Ashley Cole hung up his boots in 2019 following an illustrious career during which he played for clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, Roma, LA Galaxy, and Derby County. He won a total of 16 trophies at club level and earned 107 caps for England.
Cristiano Ronaldo tops the list of 10 best-selling Premier League player shirts over the last 5 years
Cristiano Ronaldo has made the list of top 10 most selling Premier League shirts in the last five years along with four other Manchester United players. Ronaldo's stardom remains unmatched which is evident from his inclusion in the list.
As reported by Fanatics via talkSPORT, Cristiano Ronaldo sold most shirts among all Premier League players in the last five years. Manchester City duo Erling Haaland and Jack Grealish came second and third, respectively, with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah coming fourth.
Manchester United stars Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford came fifth and sixth respectively while Antony came eighth. Tottenham's Son Heung-min came seventh and Manchester City's Phil Foden came ninth. Another Manchester United Rasmus Hojlund came 10th in the rankings despite only moving to the club last season.