In what would go down as one of the greatest signings in the history of football, former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed how he was able to complete the signing of the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo from Portuguese League side Sporting Lisbon in 2003. Manchester United had a match against the Portuguese side and it was that moment the legendary Scot discovered the Portuguese talent.

Ronaldo didn’t start the game against United and was on the bench at the start of the game but was later introduced onto the pitch where he showcased his raw talent. As a young player playing in the Portuguese league and trying to make a name for himself, he was a youngster and was arguably the best player at Sporting at such a very young age.

Speaking recently about the event, Sir Alex revealed that he and Ronaldo met in the tunnel as both teams approached their dressing rooms at the end of the match and had a short conversation with the Portugal international star. The former manager said he first told Ronaldo how much of a talented player he was and informed him that he would like to have him on the plane back to MA Chester with him and the rest of the squad.

According to Sir Alex, there were other clubs interested in Ronaldo but he knew he had to act fast before the young talent would slip away from his grip and that was what he did.

Ronaldo would then move to Old Trafford to become one of the best players in the club’s history. He also won the first of his five Ballon d’Or awards under Sir Alex Ferguson’s management and he was also part of the squad that won the Red Devils’ third UEFA Champions League title against Chelsea in Moscow.