Ruben Amorim is trying to do a monumental job to restore Manchester United to its former glories and a big part of it is bringing a cultural reboot at Old Trafford.
The mentality has long been an issue at Man Utd, with the club as a whole being too comfortable at times with mediocrity and just having a good game or two over a season.
That is in stark contrast to the teams Sir Alex Ferguson built, full of driven winners for whom the second place was nothing more than the first loser.
Thierry Henry recently said that Louis Saha told him a Man Utd teammate of his during those times embodied that mentality, with the player only aiming for the very top.
Thierry Henry on what Louis Saha told him
Henry was recently on Sky Sports Monday Night Football to talk about the greatest Premier League forwards of all time.
Needless to say, United’s success under Sir Alex dominated the Premier League to such an extent that such a discussion is bound to be dominated by players from those days.
Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo are two of those but it is the latter, in particular, about whom Henry had an interesting anecdote to share.
- READ MORE: Who is Cristiano Ronaldo? Meet one of football’s most iconic names and undisputed Man Utd legend
Henry said that when Ronaldo burst onto the scene, Saha, Ronaldo’s teammate at club level and Henry’s for France, prophesied that the Portuguese would one day become the best player in the world.
He said: “I remember Louis Saha saying to me, ‘This guy is going to be the best player in the world’ when he was playing for Man Utd and I went, ‘Really?’.
“Saha said his work ethic is second to none. I said then that if he has the talent and that work ethic then then sky is the limit and he did go on to prove it.”
Cristiano Ronaldo’s work ethic and a lesson for current Man Utd
Ruben Amorim is trying to instill a culture of responsibility and determination in the current Man Utd squad and regardless of how Ronaldo’s second spell at the club ended, his work ethic sets him apart.
Henry said, ” I will give him a lot of credit besides his talent and quality is his work ethic, the way he lives the game.
“He’s still playing, still running, making a difference. You look at his body and it’s better than when he was younger! Usually near the end of the career you look at the player and think they should stop because the body is not what it was.
“His body is better than when he was younger! The amount of work he puts in is incredible.”
Ronaldo has remained at the top of his game due to his hunger and drive to win, no matter what level he’s at or what trophies he’s targeting.
That determination is what separates him from those just below the bracket of world-class and allows him to transcend the game altogether.
The current Man Utd squad can learn a lot because as it stands, there’s not a single player in that team for whom a teammate can say what Saha said to Henry about Ronaldo.
That is a damning indictment on a young squad, precisely the reason for which Amorim has been brought in.
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