'I let Cristiano Ronaldo take my place in queue at Man Utd – Sir Alex Ferguson was livid'
Cristiano Ronaldo has been a football superstar for two decades since making his name at Manchester United but Sir Alex Ferguson wasn’t happy with the way he was treated by a young team-mate
Sir Alex Ferguson once gave a Manchester United youth starlet a lecture after the way he treated Cristiano Ronaldo.
The legendary Scot was as big of a believer in the mental side as well as the technical side of the game. Ferguson’s teams were unshakeable and that mindset was instilled from the youth ranks at Old Trafford.
One of those youngsters to find out the hard way was the then-young Irish midfielder Robbie Brady, who arrived at United shortly after his 16th birthday, hoping to make a big impression with the Premier League giants.
Brady recalled how one day he was waiting in the canteen for his lunch before Ronaldo emerged from the shower and walked towards the queue that the youth starlet was standing in. “I thought I was being polite," Brady recalled. “I invited him to join the queue in front of me, and thought no more of it.”
As Brady left the canteen, he was beckoned over by Sir Alex who asked why he let Ronaldo - "the best player in the world" - in the queue in front of him. The Irishman replied that he was just being polite, before Ferguson gave him a stern lecture.
“I want you to think you’re better than him. I want you to believe that you can take his place in the team. I don’t want you to be subservient to him, don’t do it again,” Ferguson ranted.
Brady played just once for United’s senior team, making a late cameo appearance off the bench in the League Cup victory over Newcastle United in September 2012. Having turned 33 on Tuesday, Brady is still playing for Preston North End and Ireland.
The versatile left-sided player turned out for Hull City, Norwich City and Burnley in the Premier League. Brady explained how the realisation surrounding his career only hit him when he moved away from Old Trafford.
“I think my time at United and then my loan spells at Hull helped me mature, to grow up and get my head around what it took. I always wanted to play at the highest level but it took getting that in your mind, and knowing what it takes was a big thing.
"But I feel on the road now and I know what I want and I’m setting goals for myself and hopefully I can keep on going,” he said.