Man Utd Transfers: 5 Greatest Foreign Imports

1. Cristiano Ronaldo Appearances: 292 Goals: 118 Signed on the back of a friendly against his old club Sporting Lisbon to mark the opening of their new stadium, Ronaldo spellbound United's defence, prompting the players to urge their manager to sign him. Sir Alex obliged, bringing Ronaldo to Old Trafford in 2003 following the departure of David Beckham to Real Madrid. Such was his confidence in his new charge that Ferguson handed Ronaldo the coveted number 7 shirt, synonymous with greatness at United. In his first three seasons at the club, Ronaldo was nurtured by the coaching staff and subsequently developed into a lethal, direct player as opposed to one over-reliant on step-overs as he was when he first arrived. Undoubtedly the greatest player that I have ever seen play for United, Cristiano Ronaldo took his United side onto the next level, and was the difference between United and Chelsea during an era when United won the title 3 times consecutively. He was the leading star in the side that won the double in 2007/2008, becoming the first player since George Best to win the Ballon D'or whilst at Manchester United. Arguably if it were not for Lionel Messi, Ronaldo would have won the Ballon D'or for the last 5 years in a row. Everything good about United's play invariably went through Ronaldo, especially counter attacks in which he would break with blistering pace, most notably in his final season at United in the Champions League semi-final second leg against Arsenal. He also scored some ridiculous goals: The free-kick against Portsmouth where David James merely stood and watched the ball sail into the top corner, and then laughed at criticism from his defence. The towering header against Roma in the Champions League quarter final. The 40 yard screamer away at Porto. It was a pleasure to watch Ronaldo at United and a sad day to see him leave. Although he was only the leading star for arguably 3 seasons, the sheer ability he displayed during that time have not been seen since the days of Best, and I doubt will be seen anytime soon. For that reason Ronaldo tops this list. Source: Manchester United Did we miss any foreign United icons, who you feel should have been included? Share your picks below.