Rio Ferdinand recalls the time he played ‘an alien’ at Manchester United

Rio Ferdinand has reacalled the time Brazil icon Ronaldo managed to score a hat-trick against him when Real Madrid played Manchester United in the Champions League more than 20 years ago.

The hosts ultimately ran out 4-3 winners on the night but the Spanish club progressed through to the semi-finals with a 6-5 aggregate triumph. Two second-half goals from David Beckham failed to counteract Ronaldo’s treble, who gave Ferdinand a tough time.

The striker, who had led Brazil to the 2002 World Cup almost nine months earlier, lit up Old Trafford on a night where he received a standing ovation from all four corners. Ferdinand and former United colleague Owen Hargreaves were asked about which opponents dazzled them during their Champions League careers.

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Hargreaves recalled how he was awestruck by Zinedine Zidane, saying: “I remember just looking at him in the game thinking: ‘my God’. He was just so graceful and he was so quiet on the pitch as well. He didn't really talk.

“You know, when you play somebody like that, you look at him and I know you're a little bit in awe, but you've still got to compete. And he was the one guy, I thought he just had this presence.”

Ferdinand hailed the positive “arrogance” elite players like Zidane showed during their playing days. He was asked if he remembered the game when Ronaldo scored a hat-trick past him. "Course I do. I played centre-back against him [laughs]. He’s another alien, he’s another alien!” he told MUTV.

“I know I always say this, but two of his goals, another goalkeeper saves it. Edwin [van der Sar] saves both of them. There's two goals in that game