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"Those Were The Words He Used" - Cristiano Ronaldo Gave Vital Advice To Man Utd Debutant

"Those Were The Words He Used" - Cristiano Ronaldo Gave Vital Advice To Man Utd Debutant

"Those were the words he used."

Daniel Marland

Daniel Marland

Cristiano Ronaldo gave a Manchester United youngster a vital piece of advice before making his debut for the club.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner commands respect in every dressing room, but he doesn't think he's above his teammates.

Fabio da Silva has revealed Ronaldo had a honest chat with him prior to his debut against Tottenham Hotspur in 2009.

He told ESPN Brazil per Sport Witness: "Ronaldo helped me a lot there.

"I didn't speak English at all, or practically nothing. Not even 'water'. He helped me and my brother [Rafael] a lot. I'm very grateful to him.

"My first game, I don't forget, against Tottenham, I was 18 years old. I have a photo with him to this day.

"Before the game, he came to me, hugged me and said: 'From the middle to the front, you can do whatever you want. From the middle to the back, don't try to do anything, because you might lose the ball and I can't get it back for you'. Those were the words he used."

Fabio is from Brazil and speaks Portuguese, so it meant Ronaldo was one of the only players in the dressing room to communicate with him.

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PA

He continued: "It shows how much he helps and will help young people at Manchester United. That's why I thought his signing was super right. Young people seeing the 36-year-old guy, working, running, for everything he's achieved."

Ronaldo also played a key role in Fabio and his brother, Rafael, joining United from Fluminese as teenagers.

The duo were linked with a move to Arsenal at the time and manager Sir Alex Ferguson was desperate to seal their signature.

What did he do? Get the help of his star player.

"First it was a Portuguese greeting. Then the voice says: 'It is Cristiano Ronaldo," Fabio told the Daily Mail earlier this month.

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PA


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PA

"I think it is a joke but he says, 'No, it is Cristiano here. I'm calling you to tell you to come to United. I can help you guys so you need to come. You're going to enjoy [it].'

"Sir Alex Ferguson must have known about Arsenal. This was his way of making sure we came to Manchester. It worked."

Featured Image Credit: PA Images

Topics: Football, Manchester United, Premier League, Cristiano Ronaldo