5 players who were fortunate enough to play with Cristiano Ronaldo

#3 Danny Simpson (Manchester United)

Simpson and Cristiano Ronaldo were teammates once

A product of the esteemed Manchester United academy, Danny Simpson was once a teammate of Cristiano Ronaldo's. The Englishman spent four seasons contracted to the Red Devils, having been sent out on loan for the majority of his United career. Even so, Simpson managed to partner Cristiano Ronaldo for a mere six games.

Having played for sub-par Premier League sides for almost the entirety of his senior career, Simpson's moment in the sun finally arrived in the 2015-16 season. He acted as the first-choice right-back for a resurgent Leicester City in that campaign. Against all odds, Simpson and his team fended off Arsenal and Tottenham to lift the elusive Premier League trophy for the first time.

However, his form soon took a nosedive, and the English full-back was released by the Foxes, aged 32. While he continues to be a passable squad player, the current Bristol City right-back has never been an elite Premier League footballer. So to have lifted the top-flight title and played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Simpson will consider himself fortunate.

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#2 Eric Djemba-Djemba (Manchester United)

Liverpool Legends v Manchester United Legends

Eric Djemba-Djemba was picked up by Manchester United in 2003 after starring for the Africa Cup of Nations-winning Cameroon side. Brimming with potential, he was named the heir to Roy Keane's throne at Old Trafford upon his arrival.

Similar to others on the list, Djemba-Djemba failed to live up to his billing and was soon offloaded to Aston Villa in 2005. Sir Alex Ferguson even admitted to a having made a transferral mistake in signing the defensive midfielder.

Nevertheless, Djemba-Djemba was able to partner Cristiano Ronaldo in his brief spell with the Red Devils. The duo played a total of 21 games together, without producing any goal contributions. He went on to ply his trade in obscure footballing nations like Qatar, Israel, Indonesia and even India in the latter stages of his career.

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#1 Jese Rodriguez (Real Madrid)

Jese played with Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid

Destined to be a world-beater, Jese Rodriguez was La Fabrica's most promising prospect in decades. The skills exhibited by the youngster received widespread acclaim, and Jese was thrust into stardom shortly after. Everything was going according to plan, and the Spaniard was just a few performances away from being integrated into the Real Madrid first-team.

However, the once-prodigy proved to be an absolute disappointment in the senior squad. Real Madrid refused to give up on their supposed star, handing out an inexplicable 94 appearances to Jese. In the said duration, he enjoyed constant support from the coaching staff, all the while having the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema as his teammates. Yet the flashy playmaker could only produce a total of 18 goals and 15 assists for Real Madrid.

He was finally shipped off to PSG in 2016 with Los Blancos making a sizeable profit of €25 million. Predictably, Jese's inability to commit to the game caused him to tank in France as well. A string of disappointing loan moves followed, as hispiraledspiralled out. Having played a massive 75 matches alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Jese is now slumming it in the second tier of Spanish football with Las Palmas.

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