Sir Alex Ferguson managed his fair share of world class players during his time as Manchester United boss – and it’s not a surprise who topped the list as the best

The best player Sir Alex Ferguson coached at Manchester United was Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ferguson signed Ronaldo, who was 18 at the time, for around £12million in August 2003 after he impressed during a pre-season friendly for Sporting CP against United. The Portuguese superstar endured a mixed first season before settling into life at Old Trafford and going on to become one of the best players in the world.

Ronaldo scored an outstanding 42 goals in 49 appearances during his penultimate season at United before securing a world record move to Real Madrid for £80m. During his six-year spell at the Red Devils, Ronaldo won three Premier League titles as well as the Champions League on one occasion.

And according to Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Ferguson believes that Ronaldo was the best player he had at United. Ferguson retired from management in 2013 after 26 years at the Red Devils, where he coached a number of world class footballers, with Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs among the others.

Asked who the greatest player is in United history, Ratcliffe told The Geraint Thomas Cycling podcast: “Probably Cristiano Ronaldo, I’d guess. I don’t know. I remember Bobby Charlton a bit, he was obviously the legend at Manchester United.

“I once asked Alex Ferguson who was the best player he’d ever coached and that was Ronaldo. I had dinner with him the first time I met him about seven or eight years ago at the League Managers’ Association dinner. George Best, I suppose, was the most naturally gifted player I’ve seen play football.”

Manchester United paid £12m to sign Cristiano Ronaldo in 2003 ( Image: Manchester United via Getty Images)

Who is the best player in Manchester United’s history? Let us know in the comments below!

After leaving United, Ronaldo immediately hit the ground running at Real and became an instant success, scoring 33 times in his first season. He then hit over 50 goals in six successive years, battling alongside Lionel Messi as the two best players on the planet as their rivalry firmly intensified.

Both were notching groundbreaking numbers and Ronaldo went on to spent nine years at Real, scoring more goals than games played with 450 in 438. Since, he made the switch to Juventus and endured three years in Serie A before returning to United and having one last dance.

However, following an impressive first season back where he notched 24 goals in 38 matches, Ronaldo’s time in Manchester ended sour. After an explosive interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo had his contract terminated in November 2022 before he made the switch to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

Cristiano Ronaldo left United for Al-Nassr ( Image: Getty Images)

That is currently where Ronaldo is still playing his football at the age of 39. He has grabbed 36 goals in 39 matches for the Middle East club this season and is eying more honours before he retires. During his career, Ronaldo has won the Ballon d’Or on five occasions – which is three fewer than Messi.

And when asked about Ronaldo and Messi in 2015, Ferguson explained: “People say who is the best player in the world? And plenty of people quite rightly say Messi – you can’t dispute that opinion.

“But Ronaldo could play for Millwall, Queens Park Rangers, Doncaster Rovers… anyone, and score a hat-trick in a game. I’m not sure Messi could do it. Ronaldo’s got two feet, he’s quick, great in the air, he’s brave – Messi’s brave, of course. I think Messi’s a Barcelona player.”

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