Cristiano Ronaldo evolved hugely as a player during his time at Old Trafford.
He went from a skinny teenager, hellbent on pulling off extravagant tricks at any opportunity, to a complete athlete and one of the most lethal finishers in the world. Ronaldo continued that transformation at Real Madrid, but most of the groundwork was laid during his time with Manchester United.
Rio Ferdinand believes Paul Pogba can learn from Ronaldo’s evolution as a player, if he follows the same steps, i.e. cutting out the unnecessary tricks and focussing on becoming more effective with the ball.
“Cristiano came as what we called a showpony, all the stepovers, looking good for the fans. He left the best player in the world, who lived and died by the end product. Goals and assists,” Ferdinand told ESPN.
“But that’s down to intelligence, [Ronaldo] worked it out, actually, ‘that’s good that the people love me for that, but what’s going to get me there, to the top of the mountain. I need to adjust my game.’ And he left as the best player in the world.
“So Paul Pogba can look at that as something to learn from there as well. What do I really need to do to make myself the best midfielder on this planet?” Ferdinand said.
“Listen, he’s got an ego, that’s not hard to see on social media, this boy’s got an ego, wants to be looked at and talked about as the best player. There’s a hunger and desire for that, with that comes a work ethic.”
Ferdinand went on to explain that it is down to Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho to work out how to get the best out of Pogba, in order to allow him to truly fulfil his potential.
“That’s down to Mourinho to work that out. And I think that’s been the problem so far, they’ve not been able to work out what’s best for Paul Pogba in the Man United team. Should he be playing in a more deeper, reserved position? Should he be playing on the edge of all the attacks, assisting, providing chances, etc? Where is he best in this team?”
“I don’t think it’s in terms of players that you compare them, it’s the mentality side. And that’s where Cristiano Ronaldo beats down every player around. He’s an animal mentally. He’s just single-minded, fearless, and obsessed. Crazy combination.”
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