Cristiano Ronaldo made me "allergic to defeat," says former Manchester United star Nani

Cristiano Ronaldo's competitiveness cannot be overstated, as the Portuguese star continues to cement his status as one of the greats of the game. Having joined Juventus in 2018, Ronaldo has carried on banging in the goals and spearheaded the Bianconeri to the top of the Serie A standings.

Nani story exposes just how competitive Cristiano Ronaldo was at Manchester United #mufc https://t.co/3ghXfrS8wQ

— Man United News (@ManUtdMEN) July 15, 2020

While Cristiano Ronaldo burst onto the scene at Sporting Lisbon, it is at Manchester United where he developed into one of the most devastating attackers in world football.

At Old Trafford, the 35-year-old was teammates with compatriot Nani, who also joined the Red Devils from Sporting.

Much like Ronaldo, Nani was wonderfully gifted on the ball and was capable of producing spectacular moments in the blink of an eye.

Nani was a firm fan favourite at Old Trafford

Nani lavishes praise on Cristiano Ronaldo's competitive spirit

Looking back on his time in England, the 33-year-old spoke to the Players' Tribune about Ronaldo's competitiveness and lavished praise on his work ethic.

"Before I knew it, I was looking for a house in Manchester. At the start I was supposed to move into a hotel, but Jorge asked me 'Would you mind staying with Cristiano?"

"So I moved in with him and Anderson, who had just arrived at Man Utd. Ronaldo had a swimming pool, a ping-pong table, a tennis court and every day we would compete at something. By the time Anderson and I left that house, we had become allergic to defeat."

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most competitive athletes of the modern era and continues to set the standard at the age of 35. The Portugal captain has shown no signs of slowing down and is still going strong for club and country, as he looks set to carry on playing well into his late 30s.

Nani and Ronaldo were teammates at club level only for two years, as the latter sealed a world-record move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009. However, they are good friends off the pitch and have shared the dressing room with the national team since 2006, when Nani made his debut for Portugal.

Cristiano Ronaldo became a global superstar at Manchester United

Cristiano Ronaldo spearheaded his country's quest for the European Championships in 2016 and led Portugal to their first-ever major trophy, while Nani was also a part of the squad.

ON THIS DAY IN 2016:Cristiano Ronaldo won the Euro’s with Portugal and contributed to 3 goals & 3 assists (75% of Portugal’s goals when he was on the pitch *RECORD*). pic.twitter.com/I7JUC1A2fd

— TeamCRonaldo (@TeamCRonaldo) July 9, 2020

In 2019, Ronaldo once again captained his side to victory in the inaugural edition of the UEFA Nations League, winning his second international trophy with Portugal.

---