When Sir Alex Ferguson made call during half-time to seal Cristiano Ronaldo transfer

Man United's legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson had an inkling when his side went up against Cristiano Ronaldo during a friendly against Sporting CP, that he made a call during the interval to get the teenager in his squad. The Red Devils had spent most of the summer chasing Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho, who ultimately chose Barcelona over a move to Old Trafford. Sir Alex Ferguson then, in turn, turned his sights to a certain Cristiano Ronaldo, beating Barcelona to the Portuguese signature. 

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Cristiano Ronaldo MUFC career: Sir Alex Ferguson made a half-time phone call to seal Cristiano Ronaldo transfer

Man United faced off against Sporting CP in a pre-season friendly ahead of the 2003/04 season, when an 18-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo showcased his exquisite talent in the first-half, sending John O’Shea packing with his extensive dribbling. Man United had agreed to play a friendly to open Sporting’s new Jose Alvalade stadium with a view to finalising a deal for the 18-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo. The initial plan was to loan him back to Sporting for the 2003-04 season.

However, Sir Alex Ferguson was so impressed by the teenage prodigy, that he called up chief executive Peter Kenyon during the interval to ensure Cristiano Ronaldo came straight back to Manchester. Kenyon told the Daily Telegraph that Sir Alex Ferguson asked him to bring Ronaldo straight to Manchester. Barcelona were also interested in signing Cristiano Ronaldo, but Man United's £12.24 million bid showed their determination to bring the Portuguese prodigy on board. 

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Cristiano Ronaldo transfer: Cristiano Ronaldo MUFC career 

Sir Alex Ferguson's persuasion and faith in Ronaldo's talent saw the 18-year-old being handed the legendary No.7 shirt, which was recently vacated by David Beckham and previously worn by the likes of George Best, Bryan Robson and Eric Cantona. Ronaldo went on to make 292 appearances for Man United under Sir Alex Ferguson, scoring 118 goals in the process. The Portuguese international lifted the Premier League title thrice, while also winning the Champions League once.

His performances for the Red Devils also saw him win the 2008 Ballon d'Or. During his time in the Premier League, Ronaldo won the PFA Young Player of the year in 2006-07, before being named the PFA Player of the Year for the next two seasons. After a largely successful stint under Sir Alex Ferguson at Man United, Ronaldo sealed a then world-record £80 million (€94 million) transfer to Real Madrid. 

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(Image Credit: Manutd.com)