“I remember him getting abused in training” - Nicky Butt shares Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘flaws’ from when he first arrived at Manchester United
Former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt has shed light on Cristiano Ronaldo's early days at the club. He spoke about the forward's flaws back then, saying that he used to dive much to the annoyance of the seniors.
A young Ronaldo arrived at Manchester United from Sporting CP in 2003. He impressed with his skills and ability but apparently drew the ire of the seniors due to his diving in training. Butt, who left United in 2004, recently said about the Portuguese (via Tribal Football):
"He wasn't when I was there because he had so many little flaws he had to deal with. Dribbling, too much diving. I remember him getting abused in training every time he would dive off the more experienced pros. 'Get up. You don't do that.' You know, 'You never dive at this football club.'
"It's like the story of Ole Gunnar (Solskjaer) when he dived over the Newcastle player running through. You have to do it the right way. I knew he'd have the talent to get there, but getting talent is different to actually doing it. You have got to be a really top, top human being to be a top, top player in my opinion."
Nicky Butt and Cristiano Ronaldo shared the pitch 18 times during their time at Manchester United. The Portuguese made 292 appearances during his first stint at the club, registering 118 goals and 62 assists and winning numerous trophies.
Former Manchester United coach opens up on Cristiano Ronaldo's exit under Erik ten Hag
Former Manchester United assistant manager Steven Mclaren recently revealed why Erik ten Hag decided to part ways with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo returned to the Red Devils in 2021, arriving from Juventus. He was their top scorer that season with 24 goals and three assists in 39 games across competitions. However, his role was reduced after Erik ten Hag's appointment as the manager in the summer of 2022.
Ronaldo once refused to come on as a late substitute in Manchester United's clash against Tottenham Hotspur. In November 2022, he gave an explosive interview with Piers Morgan, slamming Ten Hag. In a recent interview, Steve Mclaren spoke about the Dutchman's decision to let Cristiano Ronaldo go, saying (via Mirror):
“I couldn’t fault his [Ten Hag’s] approach. He really handled it very well. I said at the time he was the right man to go in. That was shown in the way he handled [the departure of] Ronaldo.
“He [Ten Hag] came in with set standards. Set rules. Set way of playing. And if you didn’t run, you didn’t play. He was rigid on that. Which the Dutch are. He knew that was what was needed. There could be no flexibility, no way the players could manoeuvre [out of that responsibility].
“This is what you had to do – or you didn’t play. And he took on Ronaldo, and quite rightly. Other managers have tried to adapt. Erik didn’t feel it was necessary to do that. [Ralf] Rangnick had tried and it hadn’t quite worked out and Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] the same. So he [Ten Hag] stuck to his guns and developed other players.”
Manchester United mutually terminated Cristiano Ronaldo's contract in November 2022. He then joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr in January 2023.