Ronaldo was made to cry by Van Nistelrooy at Man Utd training - Saha

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner fell victim of the Dutchman's hunger for goals. the former France international has revealed

Cristiano Ronaldo was made to cry during Manchester United training by Ruud van Nistelrooy, Louis Saha has revealed.

Ronaldo joined up with the Old Trafford side as an 18-year-old during the era in which the Netherlands international striker was the top dog at the club.

The young Portuguese was still developing his game at that juncture and had a reputation for being greedy – something the goal-hungry former PSV striker did not appreciate.



As such, the pair rowed at training, which came to a head when the teenager was experiencing some personal issues.

“Ruud had that kind of ego: he wanted all the passes,” Saha told FourFourTwo. “And sometimes, for the development of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, it was difficult for the manager to deal with.

“Did Ruud make Ronaldo cry? Yeah, there were stories because I think they ended up in an argument at the moment when Cristiano’s father had passed away, so it wasn’t the right moment. Things like that happen when two players have lots of spirit, but I’m sure Ruud regrets some of his words.

“Cristiano was just an animal. I don’t know if you can say that he was a human! You could see from when he was 18 or 19 that this guy was not normal.

“These players who have all the ability recognise that it’s also about working harder than anyone – not just talent. The top seeds in tennis don’t hit the ball better or have better technique; no, they work harder than anyone, and Cristiano did that.”





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