Manchester United Transfer News Roundup: Former trainer reveals hard work key to Cristiano Ronaldo's success; Paul Pogba reveals he suffered from depression, and more - 23 March 2022
Manchester United are sixth in the Premier League table after 29 games. The Red Devils have won 14 and lost seven in the league so far this season. They trail fourth-placed Arsenal by four points, having played a game more.
Meanwhile, a former trainer has revealed that hard work is key to Cristiano Ronaldo’s success at Old Trafford. Elsewhere, Paul Pogba has revealed that he suffered from depression.
On that note, here's a look at the key Manchester United transfer stories as on 23rd March 2022:
Former trainer reveals hard work key to Cristiano Ronaldo's success at Manchester United
Former Manchester United trainer Mick Clegg has revealed that years of hard work have resulted in Cristiano Ronaldo’s success at Old Trafford. The Portuguese first joined the Red Devils as a teenager and proceeded to become a household name.
Speaking to The Independent, Clegg recalled watching Ronaldo transform into a world-class player at United.
“I never saw a scrawny kid. That kid had a fantastic physique, a fantastic ability to move. All he needed was time. People sometimes ask for ‘Cristiano’s routine’, his chest routine or whatever, but what are they talking about? It’s five and a half years. It was five and a half years of the hardest work I’ve ever seen from any athlete ever,” said Clegg.
He continued:
“It was never scrawny; what he wanted to do was get the right amount of the strength, the power, the skill, the cognitive processes, and all these things then come together. But it’s also about confidence."
Cristiano Ronaldo on Instagram ahead of tomorrow's crucial game against Turkey.❤️🇵🇹 https://t.co/9AhUpm9eiU
Clegg recalled Ronaldo’s confidence in his abilities playing a big part in his success.
“You can see how it came together for him. Some players practice something and then take it into a game, and if it doesn’t work, they'll never use it again. Cristiano practices something, then he’ll take it into training games, then take it into a game against teams at the bottom of the league, and he would hone his skills there,” said Clegg.
He added:
“He wouldn’t use it in the big games against Chelsea or whoever until he was confident with it. And he never, ever lost confidence he could make whatever he’s working on work."
Now in his second stint at Old Trafford, the 37-year-old is the club's top scorer across competitions, netting 18 times, after arriving last summer.
Paul Pogba reveals he suffered from depression
Paul Pogba has revealed that he suffered from depression at Manchester United. The French midfielder is in the final few months of his current contract and is expected to leave this summer.
Paul Pogba opens up on suffering from depression 🙏 https://t.co/Bt539I78Gx
Speaking in an interview with Le Figaro, Pogba revealed that his depression started during Jose Mourinho’s reign.
“I've had depression in my career, but we don’t talk about it. Sometimes you don’t know you are; you just want to isolate yourself,;be alone. These are unmistakable signs. Personally, it started when I was with Jose Mourinho at United. You ask yourself questions; you wonder if you are at fault because you have never experienced these moments in your life,” said Pogba.
He continued:
“All top athletes go through these moments, but few talk about it. Inevitably, you will feel it in your body, in your head, and you may have a month, even a year, where you are not well. But you don’t have to say it. In any case publicly."
Pogba added:
"We earn a lot of money, and we don’t complain really, but that doesn’t prevent us from going through moments that are more difficult than others, like everyone else in life. Because you make money, you always have to be happy? It’s not like that, life. But, in football, it does not pass; we are however not superheroes, but only human beings."
Pogba is widely expected to leave as a free agent this summer. His former club Juventus could be the Frenchman's next destination.
Red Devils monitoring Tammy Abraham
Manchester United are keeping a close eye on Tammy Abraham, according to The Hard Tackle via II Messaggero.
The Englishman has been in red-hot form at AS Roma this season, scoring 23 times across competitions. The 24-year-old moved to the Serie A side last summer and has flourished under Jose Mourinho. The Red Devils are now planning to bring him to Old Trafford this year.
Edinson Cavani is tipped to leave at the end of the season, while Cristiano Ronaldo’s future also hangs in the balance. The Premier League giants believe Abraham could help fill the void this summer. However, Roma have no intentions of letting him leave, so Manchester United might be forced to consider alternate targets.