The former Manchester Untied boss has
been weighing in on the old Messi vs Ronaldo debate at an event with golfer
Rory McIlroy
They may have been usurped from the top
of the La Liga scoring charts, but the Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate
continues to rage.
And now former Manchester United manager
Sir Alex Ferguson has given his insight on what makes his ex-charge Ronaldo the
pick of the pair, as he spoke as a guest at 'An Evening with Rory McIlroy in
Dublin.
“It’s interesting to me that we hear so
much about two players these days: Ronaldo and Messi ,” the Scot said alongside
the former World No.1 golfer.
“Now don’t get me wrong, Messi is a
fantastic player, it’s like he’s wearing slippers when he controls the ball.
But here, for me, is the difference. Messi is a Barcelona player.
“But Ronaldo could play for Stockport
County and score a hat-trick. He has everything. He can shoot with both feet,
head the ball, he’s as brave as a lion, and here’s something else people
overlook."
This season was the first time since 2009
that neither Messi or Ronaldo claimed the Pichichi Trophy, as Luis Suarez
topped the goalscoring charts with 40 goals, five more than the Real Madrid man
and 14 ahead of his Barca team-mate Messi.
Ferguson also believes it is the Portuguese's
work rate was what separated him from him his peers.
“During my time at Manchester United I
was lucky enough to have a lot of people who put in countless extra hours to
get better. Gary Neville turned himself from an average footballer into a wonderful
one because of his work ethic, as did David Beckham. But Ronaldo used to
completely exhaust himself, and still does. He just wanted to be the best in
the world.”
Ferguson signed Ronaldo for Manchester
United in 2003 and oversaw his development from a raw, gifted youngster to a
future Ballon d'Or winner and the world's most expensive player when he signed
for Real Madrid in 2009.
Ronaldo will also be looking to win his
third Champions League trophy when Real Madrid go up against neighbours
Atletico in the final later this month.
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