Ferguson: Manchester United players hated Ronaldo's ego

Former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that some players at the club hated Cristiano Ronaldo for his ego and confident personality.

Ronaldo, 30, was one of the best players United fans and players have ever seen at the club before he got his dream move to Real Madrid where he has ended up the clubs highest ever scorer.

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He would have no doubt achieved that at United but he had achieved everything he needed to at the club by the age of 25 with Ferguson forcing him to stay after the side won the Champions League in 2008. Ronaldo then went on to help United win another league title and moved to Madrid for £80million.

That was then a record fee for any player and he has gone on to shine as the one of the best players ever alongside Lionel Messi.

And most of that comes down to the grooming he was given by Ferguson, who supported the Portugal captain during his tough times at the club when he was a youngster. But despite that, the former United boss admitted that players didn’t like Ronaldo’s attitude at the club with his antics in the dressing room winding up players, something Ferguson was never bothered about.

"“Dealing with an ego doesn’t bother me,” Ferguson said in the Telegraph, as reported by Manchester Evening News.“You used to see Ronaldo standing in front of the mirror loving himself. But it was a nice vanity. The players used to throw jockstraps, boots and all sorts at him. It never bothered him one bit.”"

Ronaldo was one of the confident players in the United side and the fans hadn’t had that type of player since Eric Cantona in the 1990’s. And Ferguson revealed they were slightly the same – always had to win.

"“They need to win, these guys: the ones that are cultivating their egos a little bit,” Ferguson continued. “You might see a player in a Ferrari and think – what’s he driving that for? But he has to live with that. He’s not going to be driving into town when he’s bottom of the league, or he’s been dropped. Some people can’t judge that. True players can.”"

Cantona was a very successful player at Old Trafford when he signed from Leeds United. He had that persona which could separate him from many players and he did that with some outrageous goals and some stupidity on the field.

But that’s what made the Frenchman and Ferguson added that he was one of the easiest to work with and all he needed was encouragement.

Ferguson: Manchester United players hated Ronaldo’s ego

By Tyrone McGarthland | Sep 19, 2015

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