Cristiano Ronaldo is a fan favorite at Old Trafford.
At just 17-years old, Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon in the summer of 2003.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner recently revealed that he had many offers when he decided to leave Sporting, but Manchester United was the clear choice.
"“Many clubs were interested in me,” said Ronaldo via the Mirror. “But the key man as always was Jorge Mendes."
"“He has always guided me in the right direction. Of course, I remember that he talked also about Juventus, and I was happy because they are an extraordinary club.”"
He then stated that although he had great options lined up, it was United that won him over.
“He also talked about Real Madrid, Manchester United and many others. But the club that offered me the best conditions were United. It was a dream because as a kid I always wanted to play in the Premier League.
“… the club that offered me the best conditions were United.”
The Premier League is a dream for most players.
While there is much debate if it’s still the strongest league in the world, back when Cristiano joined, it certainly was.
Sir Alex Ferguson has been compared to a father figure to Ronaldo. And he certainly helped mold the 32-year old into the player he is today.
Ronaldo arrived at Old Trafford relatively unknown, but he would leave as one of the world’s best.
Him and Leo Messi have combined to win the last ten Ballon d’Ors. Ronaldo is one of the greatest players to ever grace a pitch, and he can trace his development to northwest England.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored 84 goals in 196 matches for the Red Devils and was the catalyst to their 2008 Champions League trophy.
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Had Ronaldo joined Juventus or made the jump straight to Los Blancos no one knows how differently his career would look.
Fortunately for United fans and for Ronaldo himself, he chose United.
He was groomed for success by the greatest coach of all time, and since his £80m transfer to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009.
Although the transfer was extremely hard for fans at Old Trafford to stomach, most continue to support the player today as he continues to win trophies at Madrid.
Although he has struggled this season, there’s no doubt he’s still one of the world’s best. He can change any game in an instant, and that’s what made him so popular so many years ago.
He can consider himself lucky that he chose to join United, but many fans should consider themselves lucky as well. They were lucky to see one of the top 10 players of all time grace the Theatre of Dreams.
Next: Match Preview: Manchester vs. Southampton (Predicted Lineup)
Although rumors of a return to Old Trafford are always circulating, it seems like that is only a dream now. But the memories fans have of the No. 7 bursting down the left wing are all too real.