Cristiano Ronaldo: How ‘obsessive’ Manchester United legend can help Greenwood, Rashford and Sancho thrive

Tom Doyle27 August 2021

Rio Ferdinand believes Cristiano Ronaldo’s “obsessive” drive to be the best will rub off on his new Manchester United team-mates - and especially his fellow forwards Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho.

United sensationally announced on Friday that Ronaldo will be returning to Old Trafford this summer, with the Red Devils agreeing a deal with Juventus worth an initial £12.85million plus £6.85m in potential add-ons.

Ronaldo had looked odds-on to join United’s fierce rivals Man City, but it appears as though the Premier League champions dropped out of the race for the Portuguese icon’s signature on Friday morning to allow the Red Devils to steal in.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer revealed on Friday that Ronaldo’s compatriot Bruno Fernandes had been speaking to the forward to help smooth a deal, while Ferdinand claims Sir Alex Ferguson - a father figure to Ronaldo during his first spell at United - also spoke to the 36-year-old upon hearing he could be moving to the blue half of Manchester.

Ronaldo scored 118 goals in 292 appearances for United between 2003 and 2009 before leaving Old Trafford for Real Madrid, where his successes included four Champions League successes.

While he may be turning 37 in February, United are confident Ronaldo has plenty of years left at the top - and Ferdinand predicts his elite mentality can only mean good things for Solskjaer’s young forwards.

“The attention on the club, the attention on the other players - you can’t put into words what it’s going to do for the dressing room and the fan base,” he said on his YouTube channel.

“He’ll get you 25-30 goals this season. That’s what he does - he outscored Lukaku last year in Serie A - but what he can do for Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho alone is worth bringing.

“He will show them what an A-lister, genuine superstar and an absolute obsessive professional lives and breathes on a daily basis.”

Additional reporting by PA.

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