“He’s the best” - Ryan Giggs chooses greatest teammate after Rio Ferdinand raises Cristiano Ronaldo or Eric Cantona question

Ryan Giggs insists that Cristiano Ronaldo is ''the best'' when asked by former Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand where the Portuguese superstar ranks among the best players he’s played with. The trio played together at United, and Cristiano Ronaldo was the last to join.

They were also part of the Red Devils squad that won three consecutive Premier League titles between 2007 and 2009.

During this period, Cristiano Ronaldo, who had left his native Sporting CP for United, burst onto the scene with his skill and flair. The 2007–08 season proved especially memorable for the then-young and dynamic Ronaldo—not for team trophies, but for the wealth of individual accolades he earned, underscoring his rising prominence in world football.

In a recent interview on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, Ferdinand asked Giggs where Ronaldo ranks among the best players he has played with.

‘‘The best,’’ Giggs responded.

Ferdinand then asked if he felt Ronaldo was better than Eric Cantona, to which Giggs said:

“He’s the best. I remember sprinting across in one game in the winter and I’ve took Cristiano out and the manager has gone mad. I’ve gone, ‘it’s a tackle gaffer,’ and he’s gone, ‘I know yeah but just take care. He’s a special player.”

Giggs added:

“The first year was hard for him, but the more I think – and you’d seen it – more in training, where if he took too many touches he’s getting kicked. The gaffer wasn’t giving fouls.”

"He was disappointed" - Graeme Souness suggests reason behind Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit from Manchester United in 2022

Footballer-turned-pundit Graeme Souness claimed Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit from Manchester United was down to getting disillusioned about the fall in standards at the club. Ronaldo’s second stint at United came to a sour end as his contract was mutually terminated following an explosive interview with British TV presenter Piers Morgan.

Souness told Mirror:

"He was disappointed with what he found when he returned to the club. He questioned whether people cared enough about their profession. Over the last decade, since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, United have lacked senior pros who are capable of dragging the team with them. They had the best in the business in Ronaldo - and I think he left because, reading between the lines, promises were made to him about players who would arrive at Old Trafford that weren’t kept.

"I’m talking about one of the greatest players who has ever kicked a ball. It was folly for the decision-makers at Old Trafford not to listen to him. I think Cristiano’s ego made him think that someone at the top of the club would listen to him. But nobody did - and more than two years later, United are no further forward."

Across his two stints at Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo scored 145 goals and provided 65 assists in 346 matches across competitions.