Cristiano Ronaldo: I learnt art of football at Manchester United, Alex Ferguson was a father figure
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ByEurosport
Updated 04/04/2017 at 14:30 GMT
Cristiano Ronaldo says he learnt the ‘art of football’ at Manchester United and has also called former manager Sir Alex Ferguson a ‘father figure’.
Sir Alex Ferguson and Cristiano Ronaldo receive awards while at Manchester United
Image credit: Reuters
The Real Madrid forward move to Old Trafford aged 18 from boyhood club Sporting Lisbon and ended up winning the FA Cup, three Premier League titles and the Champions League.
Since then he has had continued success in Madrid, adding two further Champions League successes, a Liga title and his fourth Ballon d’Or crown.
But, during the launch of some new boots, the 32-year-old's thoughts returned to his time in England and how much he picked up in the Premier League.
"Alex Ferguson was a father for me in football," Ronaldo said. "I learned many things, not just from the coach but the players.
"I improved not just my skills but my body too.
In the five years that I was [at United] I learned the art of football. It was a dream for me.
Ronaldo also revealed how Ferguson persuaded him to wear the iconic No 7 shirt, which was previously worn by David Beckham, Eric Cantona and George Best.
"I remember when I left Lisbon for England, Alex Ferguson said to me, 'Listen, I want you to take the No 7'," added Ronaldo.
"I was surprised because I knew the guys who wore that shirt. I accepted the challenge, it was great.
"It was the beginning of my success in football. It was probably one of the most beautiful moments in my career so far."
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