When United signed Ronaldo in the summer of 2003, from Sporting Lisbon, he was seen as an outrageously gifted youngster who could become a true great of the game. He has gone on to achieve that and more, becoming arguably one of the top four players ever to play the game. Despite flashes of brilliance in his first two or three years at Old Trafford, Ronaldo often blew hot and cold. That was mainly due to his tender years, however, and it was simply a matter of time before his game went up a level. That came in 2006/07, following some excellent performances at the 2006 World Cup. His 23 goals inspired Sir Alex Ferguson's side to their first Premier League title in four years, and over the next two years he won two further titles and the Champions League, scoring 68 goals in that time. Not bad for a winger. He left England for Real Madrid in 2009, and what the 29-year-old has produced there has been nothing short of astonishing. He has scored 277 goals in just 264 appearances, is about to win his third Ballon d'Or- one of those was at United- and has won every domestic trophy there is to win. He is a freak of a player, with great physical stature, superb pace, sensational finishing and a hunger to improve unlike anyone in the game today. His rivalry with Messi has inspired Ronaldo to try and reach the heights the Argentinian has, and over the last 12 months he has been the world's greatest player. You run out of superlatives to describe Ronaldo, and although he may be a little more functional and robotic than the likes of Messi, Zidane and Ronaldinho, his effectiveness and consistency is second to none.
