After being acquired from Sporting CP by renowned previous manager Sir Alex Ferguson for a £12.2 million sum in 2003, Cristiano Ronaldo made his debut at Old Trafford.

Under the guidance of Red Devils great Sir Alex Ferguson, the 39-year-old Portuguese forward flourished in his first stint at United and made a huge impact.

Ronaldo won three Premier League championships, a Champions League, an FA Cup, and two League Cups with United during his first stint at Old Trafford.

The United legend, who left Old Trafford and signed for Real Madrid in 2009, lifted the first of his five Ballon d’Or awards in 2008 ahead of Barcelona icon Lionel Messi.

Ronaldo shot to superstardom at the Red Devils, with Ferguson admitting that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner was one of the four world-class players he managed.

The Portugal captain carried on adding to his legacy in the Spanish capital after Los Blancos snapped him up for £80m – a world-record fee at the time – from United.

Early in his Manchester United career, Cristiano Ronaldo—who presently plays for Al Nassr—was well-known for his showy showmanship and skills.

The Portugal international had a difficult time competing against the former Gunners star and was notoriously involved in a Premier League altercation with Chelsea icon Ashley Cole.

In the past, Ronaldo has referred to Cole as his most formidable opponent ever. The former United star also described Cole as a “tenacious player” at “his peak.”

Ronaldo was acknowledged by Cole, who made the admission on Monday after being named the first member of the Premier League Hall of Fame class of 2024, as “willing to learn and adapt.”

“Over the years, Cristiano Ronaldo and I had some mighty battles and we have a mutual respect for each other,” Cole stated in reference to the Al Nassr star.

He was a bit of an unknown when he first joined the Premier League, but he quickly learned what it takes to be a premier player.

“He had the willingness to grow and change. He turned into a machine in an attempt to become the greatest player in the world.

Cole highlighted the legendary player from United and Real Madrid’s strongest qualities on the field while acknowledging that Ronaldo might be a nightmare to play against.

“Everything was his. “It was possible for him to dribble, run behind, jump, head a ball, go inside, and go outside,” he added, according to Goal.

I say this because he constantly gave me nightmares, but we tried to work things out and at times we were able to get the better of one other.

“I always think of the season he made me do the splits [in 2003–04, Ronaldo’s first Premier League season], whenever I hear his name or see his face.”