“His qualities were out of this world” - Ex-Manchester United star names ex-teammate who impressed him most, Cristiano Ronaldo snubbed
Ex-Manchester United star Davide Petrucci named Paul Scholes as his Red Devils' teammate who impressed him the most, snubbing Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo in the process.
Scholes spent his entire career as a one-club man at Old Trafford, from 1993 to 2013 (with a break in 2011-12). He amassed 716 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring 155 goals and assisting 82.
He earned himself the status of a club legend, winning an inconceivable 11 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues and four FA Cups.
Cristiano Ronaldo, however, won the ultimate prize, the 2008 Ballon d'Or, for his incredible displays at Manchester United. In two stints at the club across seven seasons, he made 346 appearances for the club, scoring 145 and assisting 64 and winning a Champions League and three Premier League titles in the process.
However, that was not enough to convince Petrucci to pick the Portuguese superstar over Scholes. In an interview with Tribal Football, Petrucci spoke candidly about his time at Old Trafford which lasted from 2008 to 2014.
Talking about his most impressive teammate at United, he said:
"When I went to Manchester United I had the honour to train with players like Cristiano Ronaldo, [Carlos] Tevez, [Wayne] Rooney, [Rio] Ferdinand, [Ryan] Giggs, but the player who impressed me the most was Paul Scholes. His qualities were out of this world.”
Former Manchester United man Davide Petrucci enlists reasons for their downfall post Sir Alex Ferguson
Petrucci remarked that he was extremely fortunate to have been at the club when it was at the peak of its powers. During his time at the club, United was a dominant force in England and Europe.
He said that the Scotsman was the "glue" that bound the club from the top to the bottom, noting:
“When I was there I can say that I had the luck to be part of the best period of Manchester United in their history under the leadership of Ferguson, who controlled everything there. I think after his retirement, United lost the person who controlled everything,”
He also added that another major problem at United was the departure of important players with "great personalities" who could handle the burden of fans, managers and administration's expectations at the club.
Manchester United are currently sixth in the Premier League and knocked out of the Champions League after finishing rock-bottom in their group.