A young Cristiano Ronaldo once showed Thierry Henry, Highbury Stadium and the entire Premier League that he was special. It was 2005, and a 19-year-old Ronaldo turned out for Manchester United against their old nemesis, Arsenal.
You know how the matches between two of England’s most historic clubs often turn out, especially back then. This was right in the thick of the Roy Keane vs Patrick Vieira rivalry, and even happens to be the exact same game the pair clashed in the tunnel before kick-off. “I’ll see you out there,” Roy Keane bellowed to Vieira.
Which he certainly did, given United ran out 4-2 winners on the day. But it wasn’t necessarily Keane that United fans had to thank for the hard-fought away win in London.
The young Ronaldo was involved in everything positive that came from Sir Alex Ferguson’s men that day, scoring a brilliant brace despite being bombarded with abuse from Gunners fans.