Man United star suffered years of injury torment thanks to 'cocky' Cristiano Ronaldo

A youthful Cristiano Ronaldo inadvertently contributed to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer experiencing "unbearable" pain.

When Ronaldo joined Manchester United in 2003, his raw talent was undeniable, but his attitude required some refinement. Under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson, Ronaldo evolved into a footballing powerhouse, going on to amass over 900 career goals. However, he wasn't always the polished performer fans around the world have admired for two decades.

Solskjaer, who had an illustrious 11-year tenure as a player at United before a less triumphant managerial return in 2018, has revealed how Ronaldo once unintentionally contributed to a severe knee injury that plagued him for years and ultimately led to his retirement.

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"We signed Cristiano. We could see that he was a massive talent and would become a superstar, but I was not going to step aside," Solskjaer said in his new book, Bring On United. "I was stubborn, and my stubbornness killed me in one game against Wolves [at Old Trafford in 2003]. Cristiano was on the left. He played against Denis Irwin, then at Wolves.

"Cristiano didn't get any change out of Denis, so he kept changing position to try and get away from him. Cristiano wasn't tracking back as he should, so I ended up tracking his position and running more than I had done in any other game.

"I felt a sense of loyalty to the team. Towards the end, I was f****d. I should have asked to be subbed, but I thought, 'this young cocky player is not going to be the reason that I ask to be subbed.'"

Describing a fateful moment during a game, he added: