I made Cristiano Ronaldo – Roy Keane

Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has claimed he deserves some recognition for making Cristiano Ronaldo the player he is today.

The pair played together at Old Trafford for two years before Keane departed in 2005 after a falling out with then boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

The Irishman was known throughout his career for his no nonsense approach – he walked out of the Ireland World Cup squad in 2002 over his anger at a lack of professionalism and preparation. He also had plenty of run ins with opposite numbers and wasn’t afraid to give his opinions to his own team mates too.

Speaking to reporters, Keane, now a TV pundit and assistant manager for Ireland, stated: “Yeah I made him. Only for me he wouldn’t be where he is. Of course yeah, obviously different players have different traits in how you speak to them and who you shout at and who you don’t, but I didn’t shout at Ronaldo that much. I didn’t have to.”

30-year-old Ronaldo switched Old Trafford for the Santiago Bernabeu in 2009 and has since gone on to become the club’s all time leading scorer. He has also lifted the Ballon d’Or three times in his career and will be one of the favourites again for the award next year.