Mick Clegg labels Cristiano Ronaldo a “genius” and the “professor of football”

Add as preferred source on Google

Mick Clegg has labelled his former Manchester United prodigy Cristiano Ronaldo a “genius” and the “professor of football”.

Clegg spent 11 years as the club’s strength and conditioning coach and he played a starring role in Ronaldo’s remarkable progression and maturity from a boy to man.

In an exclusive interview with the Athletic, Clegg gave an insight into his time at Manchester United and touched upon Ronaldo’s rise to prominence.

In 2007, Ronaldo was sitting in the bar of his hotel on London’s Park Lane after the Professional Footballers’ Association awards dinner.

Ronaldo had just been named Footballer of the Year, and one of the women in the room introduced herself to the global icon.

However, after complimenting the great Portuguese’s muscles, the modest and humble Ronaldo credited one man for his remarkable body transformation.

Ronaldo rose from his table, lifted his arms to flex his bulging biceps and simply said…

“Built by Cleggy.”

When Ronaldo first arrived in Manchester back in 2003, he rocked up to Old Trafford as a scrawny teenager who needed to fill out so that he could stand up to the rigours of the English game.

Over the last two decades, Ronaldo’s dedication to looking after his body and ensuring he can stay at the top of the game at the age of 37 has transformed the modern day importance on fitness.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s unrivalled particular attention to detail is likely to see him extend his career well into his 40s.

With United’s number seven still producing the clutch moments at the highest level, one man that isn’t surprised by his longevity is Clegg.

“I say he’s a genius,” says Clegg

“People tend to use that word and think about scientists or the professors at university.

“Well, Cristiano is the professor of football and getting everything right.

“But Cristiano wasn’t ‘built by Cleggy’. He was built by Cristiano Ronaldo.”

With 807 goals for club and country to his name and becoming FIFA’s all-time scorer, Ronaldo’s thirst for success remains as strong as ever, if not stronger.

There are plenty of more records Cristiano Ronaldo wants to break and Mick Clegg deserves huge credit for helping the youngster who had huge potential develop into one of the greatest football players of all time.