Former coach names the United legend Cristiano Ronaldo “virtually copied” during his first spell at Old Trafford

When Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at Manchester United in the summer of 2003, he was a lanky teenager with a lot of promise, but very little fame. Over two decades later, the Portuguese superstar is synonymous with success, stardom and worldwide appeal. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s transformation from an unknown figure to a household name has been built on years of discipline, hard work and ambition. Ronaldo initially spent six seasons at Old Trafford, winning every title on offer before moving on to achieve bigger dreams with Real Madrid. After nine fruitful campaigns with Los Blancos and three more with Juventus, United’s prodigal son made a fairytale return to the Theatre of Dreams in the summer of 2021. The 41 year old’s second coming did not live up to expectations, prompting him to move to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr in December 2022. That transfer was a piece of history in itself, as it opened the doors of the Middle East to the rest of the world. Now at the twilight of his career, Ronaldo is preparing for his swan song at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he will have the chance to add further glory to his name. It all started years ago at Carrington, and former United trainer Mick Clegg, who worked with the Portuguese during his first spell, has shed light on the player’s training regime. Cristiano Ronaldo Club Career Stats ClubAppearancesGoalsAssistsYellow CardsSecond Yellow CardsRed CardsMinutes Played Real Madrid438450131542437,835′ Manchester United34614573502226,582′ Al Nassr13912124120112,127′ Juventus13410128130111,508′ Sporting CP31561001,392′ Total10888222621304889,444′ Source: Transfermarkt. Ronaldo wanted to emulate Giggs Speaking to SPORTbible, Clegg hailed Ronaldo as the best he has ever worked with. He said: “Cristiano was the best trainer I ever worked with. I’ve never seen anybody like him. Everything he has got out of football, he deserved it wholeheartedly.” “He wanted to learn from day one. As a young apprentice, he treated people really well – coaches, team-mates, staff. He did his own stuff that he knew he wanted to do, but he bought into virtually everything that I was doing as well. He was a masterful apprentice, if you like.” Clegg went on to reveal that the Portuguese wanted to copy United legend Ryan Giggs, adding: “I worked with Ryan and early on in his career he had some injury problems, his hamstring in particular. But he ended up playing until he was 40 and Cristiano is still playing at 41.” “There’s a reason why these players play for that long. It’s because they had principles that were laid down very early on. When Ronaldo came to United, he said ‘I know Ryan is the one who uses the gym the most, so I want to know everything he does there – but I want to do it better’.” “So he virtually copied Ryan at the start, but he carried it all on – injury prevention, how to look after yourself following a game, all of these particular details. That’s what set him apart.” Wayne Rooney just wanted to play football United’s fabled team of 2007/08 also boasted Wayne Rooney, who would go on to become the club’s record goalscorer. Clegg went on to hail the Englishman as a pure footballer, stating: “Rooney, to me, was just a pure footballer. He just wanted to play football.” “Wayne recognised that Cristiano was unique, that he was above everyone else. I remember Cristiano was ranked the No.1 player in the world and Wayne was about 17th and I said to him, ‘how are you going to get higher up the list?’ and he said ‘I’m not bothered about that. I play my game, I love the way I play and I’m happy with that’.” “Wayne was just a total footballer. He was naturally fit, a strong, powerful lad, but he didn’t feel he needed to take on board all of this stuff [power and conditioning]. How lucky was I to be at United at that time, working with those two and all of the other great players there? What a fantastic experience.” Final Thoughts Ronaldo registered 145 goals and 73 assists in 345 appearances for United during his career, winning four Premier League titles and the first of his five Champions League trophies. His dedication and zeal for excellence remains exemplary for budding players as well as seasoned professionals. Featured image Yasser Bakhsh via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.