In 2003, a lanky teenager from Sporting Lisbon came to fulfill his dreams in the Theater of Dreams. Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson molded the teenager into one of the best soccer players in the world. Since then, Cristiano Ronaldo has dominated the game like a few players. But when he first arrived, he was a showboater. He used his ability to entertain the fans with his wacky skill moves. Yet, according to former Manchester player and Scottish soccer legend Gordon Strachan, people told the Portuguese legend to mellow down. 

According to Gordon, the current United winger Antony is of the same mold, and he recollected Ronaldo’s initial days of struggle. He explained how the thought process of CR7 changed after the timely interference of people. The forward currently plays for Al Nassr after issues with the Red Devils forced him to leave. 

Scottish legend’s first take on Cristiano Ronaldo during debut Manchester United season

According to Marca, Gordon stated, “Ronaldo arrived at Manchester United for the first time, there were people in the team that told him the truth: “I’m sorry, we don’t want you to dance with the ball when you can pass it before. Use your skills in areas where you can produce something useful. We’re not here to see you play.”

The day he made his debut, fans were excited to see the step-overs and chops. Ronaldo, though, had a lot under his belt, and one must credit Ferguson for developing into a world-beater. Many coaches would alter his game. Ferguson granted him the liberty to apply his skills when necessary. After that, there was no stopping him. As Ronaldo moved ahead, United signed a player close to his skill set. Antony arrived from Ajax for a heft fee and showed shades of brilliance. 

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However, Gordon doesn’t believe he could be the real deal like Cristiano. Gordon continued, “He reminds me of Cristiano Ronaldo, although it’s never good to compare. It seems to me that he believes himself, but I don’t think he’s as good as Ronaldo. He plays too much with the ball.”

Can Antony be the next CR7?

Although he is comparatively shorter than Ronaldo, Antony on the ball is a live-wire. While Ronaldo started on the left wing, the right winger has a wand of a left foot and performs dazzling skills. In the first season when Ronaldo arrived, he had eight combined goals and assists when he was 18. Antony has 11 and is now 23. When Ronaldo turned 23, he had a 31-goal English Premier League season during the 2007-08 campaign. 

Thus, we might never see the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo again. The determination and commitment to be the best separated him from the rest of the pack. To sum up, Antony has a long way to go to reach Ronaldo’s remarkable levels. 

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