“Most ruthless finisher I’ve played with” - When Rio Ferdinand snubbed Cristiano Ronaldo while naming best finisher at Manchester United
Rio Ferdinand once snubbed Cristiano Ronaldo when asked to name the best finisher he played alongside at Manchester United. The former England defender linked up with some wonderful strikers during his illustrious career, including Cristiano Ronaldo.
However, when asked to name the best finisher he played alongside at Manchester United back in October 2023, Ferdinand picked former Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy. He also named Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as a brilliant finisher but insisted Van Nistelrooy was the deadliest one. He told Manutd.com (as quoted by Sport Bible):
“Ruud for me. I think all the other strikers (he’s played with) would agree with that, as well. Ole is up there, he was a thinking finisher. His finishes were always calm and he was great at instinctive things but I have to go with Ruud. He was clinical and the most ruthless finisher I’ve played with.”
Ruud van Nistelrooy spent five glorious years of his career on the books of Manchester United and established himself as one of the best strikers on the planet. The Dutchman scored 150 goals in 219 games for the Red Devils and won the Premier League Golden Boot once.
The former Netherlands international went on to join Real Madrid in 2006 where he also seemed to score for fun. Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, was not an out-and-out goalscorer during his first spell at Old Trafford and was deployed mostly as a winger.
The Portuguese superstar scored 118 goals in 292 matches during his first spell at Manchester United, scoring another 27 goals in 54 games during his second stint. Ronaldo's second spell at Old Trafford ended on a bizarre note as his contract was terminated following a controversial interview with UK TV personality Piers Morgan.
Former Manchester City star names Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo as his biggest influence
Juventus defender Danilo has named Cristiano Ronaldo as the player who had the biggest impact on his footballing career. The former Manchester City star shared the dressing room with the Portuguese great at both Real Madrid and Juventus.
Danilo hailed Ronaldo for his immense dedication to staying at the top of his fitness throughout his career. The former Real Madrid defender said, as quoted by Noticiasaominuto:
"Cristiano Ronaldo, because of the way he has always lived his career and looked after himself. Perhaps he is unique in football, as he has been doing it for a long time, long before there was as much news as there is today."
Danilo and Ronaldo played a total of 112 games for Real Madrid and Juventus. They won five trophies together at the Spanish club and three trophies with the Serie A giants.