Cristiano Ronaldo‘s Manchester United career is coming to a sad end. He has been airing his grievances with the club in an interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV.
A return to the club looks unthinkable, just like Roy Keane made his Red Devils career untenable in 2005.
Long after this current storm has passed, Ronaldo’s legacy will remain, and memories of his greatness will live on.
In Portugal he will always be favoured fondly – and another national legend Rui Costa has been talking about his early memories of Ronaldo.
Costa and Ronaldo were both part of the Euro 2004 squad, Ronaldo’s first major international tournament for his country.
Rui Costa comments on Ronaldo
Rui Costa’s comments to TMW highlight the fantastic regard Ronaldo was held in even at the start of his career.
Now the Benfica president, Rui Costa said: “It was his first competition in the national team, it was my last, maybe penultimate. There was a generational change going on, he was a very happy kid and did things in training that no one did.
“We broke his head every day to make him play as well as possible, but when we were left only we elders said “this is the best in the world” we had already understood what a monster of man was there with us, he arrived where he arrived.”
Amid all the drama engulfing Ronaldo right now, of his own making, it is worth remembering what a long and storied career he has enjoyed.
He has played at every major tournament since 2004, even winning Euro 2016, and is set to play at his fifth World Cup tournament.
Ronaldo has gone on to score a staggering 117 international goals, more than any other player in history, a tally he aims to add to in Qatar.
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