“He was very rarely just sitting there” - Ben Foster opens up on how Cristiano Ronaldo was at Manchester United
Cristiano Ronaldo's former Manchester United teammate, Ben Foster, has opened up about how the Portugal international used to function in his early days. The goalkeeper arrived at Old Trafford in the summer of 2005 and spent four years with Ronaldo, who eventually departed for Real Madrid in 2009.
During this period, the pair played just seven matches across competitions together. However, Foster observed Ronaldo's work ethic and determination throughout those years in training and told the Fozcast podcast (via Manchester Evening News):
"He was good as gold, and he was absolutely fine. He was just one of the lads, but he was a workhorse, and he was very rarely just sitting there, chatting, or having a good time. He was always off doing something."
Foster had previously stood by Ronaldo's side when several claimed that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner was a divisive figure in the dressing room. The former Watford shot-stopper recently told talkSPORT:
"He was honestly proper sound and I would never have a bad word to say about him, because everybody knows he's super professional. Ronaldo would integrate with the lads, and he would have a good laugh but it was never disruptive - he would always do things properly. I guarantee you he isn't going in there and kicking up a fuss."
Ronaldo's issues seemingly began once he rejoined the Red Devils in the summer of 2021. He departed in November 2022 via a mutual contract termination after seemingly falling out with then-manager Erik ten Hag.
Overall, the 40-year-old striker made 346 appearances across competitions for Manchester United, bagging 145 goals and 50 assists.
Danny Welbeck snubs ex-Manchester United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo as he picks best strike partner
Brighton and Hove Albion striker Danny Welbeck has snubbed Cristiano Ronaldo as he picked his favorite striker partner. This may seem a reasonable pick, given the pair only played eight matches together for Manchester United.
Instead of the Portuguese sensation, Welbeck went with former Arsenal colleague Alexis Sanchez. While speaking to Sky Sports, Welbeck revealed his choice, saying (via GOAL):
"I’m going to go for Sanchez. I played a lot of games with him, and I really had a good connection with him. He was one where he could spot runs and find me and come again. We just had a really good connection between us."
Sanchez and Welbeck made 71 appearances across competitions beside one another, bagging eight joint goal contributions. Welbeck also named Dimitar Berbatov and Olivier Giroud as some of the better forwards he's played with.
