Cristiano Ronaldo’s high standards may be part of what made him an all-time great player, but according to Manchester United legend Mike Phelan, they also saw the forward ‘lose’ some of his Red Devils teammates.
The Portuguese icon played two spells at Old Trafford during his legendary career. He first signed for Sporting in 2003 and spent six years under Sir Alex Ferguson before moving to Real Madrid.
With Los Blancos, the now 38-year-old shot to the forefront of the sport, winning five Ballon d’Or awards and a further four Champions Leagues before leaving for a new challenge at Juventus in 2018.
However, his return to the Premier League seemed inevitable, and in 2021 he was back at Old Trafford, and although he started straight away in typical fashion, his transfer would fall through, before an acrimonious departure in 2022.
His former coach Phelan, an iconic figure at the club, has told in an interview how Ronaldo’s second spell unraveled around him with Sky Sports.
Mike Phelan has told how Cristiano Ronaldo’s second spell at Manchester United went
The Portuguese skipper left in 2022 after just over a year in dire circumstances
Phelan claimed Ronaldo lost members of the dressing room due to his ‘hugely high standards’
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“The second time he came in much older, much more strong-willed and strong-willed,” Phelan said.
“He still had extremely high standards and was great to work with. But I would probably say a tougher mentality. He had been at Man United, he had been Portugal’s ever-present, he had been at Madrid.
“I liked it because he didn’t want his standards to go down, he wanted other people’s standards to go up. And sometimes you lose a few people along the way when that happens.
“I remember certain moments where he pushed and pushed hard, and he didn’t get much of a response or much reaction. And there was frustration.
“When you’re dealing with top people, it’s about them and where they can end up and where they can go. They want to look back and say “wow, that worked.” And he probably realised, and I don’t know, as I never had that conversation with him, that he couldn’t do it at Manchester United. So his challenges lay elsewhere.’
Ronaldo may have put up impressive numbers in his second spell, returning at the age of 36 with 27 goals in 54 games, but his departure has undoubtedly tarnished his legacy at the club to some extent.
The Portuguese captain gave a tell-all interview with Piers Morgan ahead of the World Cup in Qatar in which he expressed his frustration.
During the interview, he openly criticized the lack of ‘hunger’ among the younger players at the club compared to his first spell at United, and claimed he felt betrayed by Erik ten Hag and several figures at Old Trafford.
Ronaldo’s first spell at the club saw him rise to prominence in world football as one of the best in the world
The player burned several bridges at Old Trafford after an explosive interview with Piers Morgan
He later signed for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr on a £175 million per year contract
Erik ten Hag was one of the Manchester United figures picked by Ronaldo
His position at the club eventually became seemingly untenable, with his departure by mutual consent before the end of 2022.
Ronaldo then signed for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, becoming the first big name to make the move. He signed a £175 million-a-year contract with the Pro League, where he has unsurprisingly impressed.
“He’s still playing international football, yes he’s in Saudi Arabia, but he’s still playing and scoring,” Phelan added. ‘He is doing everything we knew he could do at Manchester United.
‘But a very good personality, hardworking and challenging. He challenged me as a coach, Carlos Queiroz as a coach and Sir Alex as a manager. But that’s good, because it takes you to another level.’