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Former Manchester United coach Benny McCarthy believes that the club's youngsters didn't take full advantage of training alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar returned to Old Trafford for his second stint with the Red Devils in the summer of 2021.
He spent a year-and-a-half with the Premier League giants before falling out with Erik ten Hag and leaving in December 2022 to join Al-Nassr. McCarthy, who joined the Dutchman's coaching staff at Manchester United the same year, says it was brilliant working with CR7.
Speaking to Ladbrokes, as cited by TBR Football, McCarthy also labeled Cristiano Ronaldo as the GOAT.
“You know what? It was brilliant working with Cristiano Ronaldo. It was brilliant because you've got a guy who knows football inside out. He became the greatest player of all time in my view – I don't speak for everyone else. So it was genuinely so nice to just see the drive and determination he still had at his age, you know, especially compared to the younger players around him," said McCarthy.
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He continued:
“You know, if I were them, I would have smothered him with questions, asking this and asking that and wanting to know everything. His regime, his methods, his approach to staying as sharp and in shape as he is. What does he do? How does he live his life? I would have asked all those things. And it's a shame that our players never, ever latched on to him in that sense.”
Manchester United had the likes of Jadon Sancho, Mason Greenwood, Antony Elanga, and Alejandro Garnacho on their roster when the Portuguese superstar arrived.
How many goals did Cristiano Ronaldo score in his second stint with Manchester United?
When Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at Manchester United for the second time in 2021, he was a global icon. The Red Devils reportedly paid Juventus £12.8m for the Portuguese superstar, who hit the ground running at Old Trafford.
CR7 rolled back the years at Old Trafford and finished the campaign with 24 goals from 39 appearances across competitions. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to help the English giants win a trophy.
Manchester United appointed Erik ten Hag as Ole Gunner Solskjaer's long-term replacement in the summer of 2022. Ronaldo had a strained relationship with the Dutch manager and ended up criticizing him in a public interview. When the Red Devils terminated his contract in December 2022, CR7 had scored 27 goals from 55 appearances in his second stint.
