Cristiano Ronaldo News: Diego Forlan slams Portuguese star, labels him as an 'egotist' in comparison to David Beckham

What's the story?

Former Manchester United forward Diego Forlan has recently suggested that his previous teammate Cristiano Ronaldo was more egotistic than David Beckham, a player he inherited the number seven shirt from at Old Trafford.

The former Uruguay international slammed the Portuguese superstar's attitude off the pitch in a recent interview.

In case you didn't know...

Ronaldo stepped into the limelight when he joined the Red Devils from Sporting back in 2003 and established himself as one of the best players in Europe during his six-year stint under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Forlan played alongside the five-time Ballon d'Or winner during his last season at the club before making his way to Villarreal in the summer of 2004. The Uruguayan icon announced his retirement from football earlier this month, a year after he left Hong Kong Premier League outfit, Kitchee.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo clinched his first Serie A title with Juventus after switching from the Spanish capital last summer.

The heart of the matter

Ronaldo's attitude off the pitch has been slammed as egotistic by former United favourite, Forlan, who suggested that his predecessor, Beckham, was far more down-to-earth.

The 40-year-old further recounted the infamous 'hairdryer treatment' clash between Beckham and Ferguson in 2003, a bust-up that is believed to have led to Beckham's departure a few months later.

He recalled the incident after United's FA Cup defeat to Arsenal, telling The Mirror, "In the locker room, Ferguson and Beckham began to insult each other. Every insult was worse than the last one and both men wanted to have the final word."

Ferguson had once suggested that he approved Beckham's Old Trafford exit because of his showbiz lifestyle.

However, Forlan has disagreed and insisted that Beckham stands nowhere near the self-absorbed attitude of Ronaldo.

He claimed, "Ronaldo was an egotist in the dressing room – not like Beckham. Cristiano always wanted to be near a mirror. He spent all day looking in the mirror."

What's next?

Ronaldo will likely feature for Juventus' Serie A opener against Parma on Saturday. Meanwhile, Manchester United are scheduled to face the Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Monday night.