Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo – best player ever seen in England?
Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo is currently taking the Premier League and the football world by storm. The free kick with which he scored his 19th goal of the season on Wednesday against Portsmouth has been hailed by many as the best ever seen.
So is Ronaldo the best player ever to play in the Premier League?
The record of the Portugese star who is still only 22, 23 next week, is certainly impressive. His Opta stats for this season show that he has scored 19 goals from 78 shots. This is both the highest number of goals and shots by any player. He is also top of the dribbling chart with 108 runs to his name.
We tend to forget that when Sir Alex Ferguson brought Ronaldo over to England in 2003, he had only made 25 first team appearances at Sporting Lisbon, scoring 3 goals. His record at Manchester United is 54 goals from 149 games. Remarkable for a player who essentially plays in midfield. He has also scored 20 international goals for Portugal in 53 appearances.
In his short career Ronaldo has won Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup medals. In 2007 he was voted PFA Player of the season, young player of the season and fans player of the season. He was the first player to ever achieve this feat. In the same year he finished second in the Uefa European footballer of the year poll and third in the FIFA world footballer of the year.
The young winger has also produced when it matters most and was selected in the team of the tournament at both the European Championship in 2004 and the World Cup in 2006.
Who would be the challengers for the title of best ever Premier League player? There are many great players that have graced the Premier League and the names just roll off the tongue. Eric Cantona, Thierry Henry, Ryan Giggs, Gianfranco Zola, Dennis Bergkamp, Roy Keane and Peter Schmeichel. What about England’s own Alan Shearer or David Beckham? For consistency and being the record holder for most appearances, even Gary Speed, now at Sheffield United could come into the equation.
All of the players I’ve mentioned, and no doubt several who you will remind me that I haven’t mentioned, have made a dramatic impact on the game in this country.
From the angelic young David Beckham’s goal from his own half against Wimbledon, to Eric Cantona’s majestic persona. From Thierry Henry’s record breaking 174 goals for Arsenal to the astonishing brilliance of Peter Schmeichel. From the 500+ games of Ryan Giggs and his sixteen major medals, to the remarkable 112 goals scored by Alan Shearer in only 138 games for Blackburn. From the frightening determination of Roy Keane to the exquisite skills of Bergkamp and Zola. These are all great players.
Despite the wonderful abilities of the players I have mentioned here, I believe that Cristiano Ronaldo has a genuine claim for the title of best Premier League player ever. He scores goals. He dribbles brilliantly and he runs faster with the ball than any player I have ever seen. Harry Redknapp described him as unplayable.
Add to the mix his awesome shooting power, and his step-overs and tricks that mesmerise and entertain, and I think he is the clear winner.
Topics: Cristiano Ronaldo, English Premier League, Manchester United
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No thierry henry is the best player to ever play in england
February 2nd, 2008 @ 17:06Look. I get it ok? He’s a great player, can’t find any fault in any part of his game & he’s scoring more than any striker in the Premiership right now. But give me a fucking break. Best player ‘ever’? More likely best player in the Premiership ‘at the moment’. How about giving it a few years until we make a judgement call on this eh?
I also think that the parameters for judging this sort of thing need to be thought out more. Like maybe categorising it like –
Best Goalkeeper ever – Pat Jennings
Best Defender ever – Tony Adams
Best Midfielder ever – George Best
Best Forward ever – Alan Shearer
Just some of my picks. As an Arsenal fan i wanted to pick Henry for the last category but i can’t ignore Shearer’s quality or longevity.
February 2nd, 2008 @ 17:36Ask this question in 5 years….It’s way too early in his career…And he needs to clean up the dives and complaining….
February 2nd, 2008 @ 17:482 good seasons and people are beginning to label him the best player ever in the Prem? It’s about time people get some perspective.
Yes, he is an incredible talent, but he has some areas to improve on before he can be considered a great (diving, going AWOL in the big games). Not to mention that to be great player, you have to keep up superb level of performance over a long period of time, not just a couple of years.
February 2nd, 2008 @ 18:13I am portuguese and i think is greater than Eusébio .
February 2nd, 2008 @ 21:03in a few years he will undoubtedly be..unless messi shows up in england
but at the moment he isnt.i think cantona has to be the best…..simply amazing
February 2nd, 2008 @ 22:50There is know question in my mind the he will be the great player ever to play in the english premier league. Yes he’s only 23 but how many 23 year olds have done what he’s done. I bet you can’t count them on one hand. If he stays healthy it will be easy to call him the best ever. So keep watching we might be witnessing some of the great football ever!
February 3rd, 2008 @ 04:06He is the best player in Europe at the moment but he is also the biggest cry-baby cum whiner cum diver. His free kick goal was sublime but I just hate his antics once he loses the ball. Talentwise he can be one of the greatest(but not certainly the greatest, he is backed by a team with at least 5 world beaters), but attitudewise, no way in the next 100 years…………
February 3rd, 2008 @ 18:00In all honesty he has gotten worse this season. Last season it would be very strange to hear a comentator say “Ronaldo has been very quiet today” this season he may be scoring but he has difenately dipped in form
February 3rd, 2008 @ 18:07Yes, Liverpool Fan….he has been rubbish all season: 27 goals and counting!
If your bitterness restrains you from giving credit why not just say nothing…..otherwise you just sound like plank.
February 4th, 2008 @ 05:20I think we should give him a couple of years to make this statement. He is the best in the PL ‘at the moment’.
)
February 4th, 2008 @ 09:10Personally I would still go with Cantona for the best (just because I love him and don’t mind being biased as hell when it comes to Cantona
im just saying he has lost that talent to make the opposition fans skip a few heart beats. His finishing is defo the best in the world but hes a winger he isnt playing the same way as last season. I heard his goal record early in the season and i said to myself (hes finaly become the best in the world) but watching his last 15 games ive realised there are a lot of better players in the world.
February 4th, 2008 @ 17:01Liverpool_Fan, Welcome back. I really thought we lost you (after the Gerrard vs Anderson clash). You never commented what you thought about it.
Oh, and you’re right about Ronaldo not being as good a winger as he was in the past. Thing is, due to our current style of play, he is not employed as a winger anymore, but as a Forward (same with Nani/Giggs/Park). (To illustrate, I think SAF saw that Richardson and Eagles were battling to make the transition from traditional wingers…)
February 5th, 2008 @ 12:13Ok i have to grudgingly admit that Ronaldo has probably the most consistent performer in the EPL this season, however its way to early to label him the best player ever in England.
I think its was an article in the Guardian that got it spot on for me, for Ronaldo to be truly judged as world class he needs to show against the best teams that he can produce the goods, admittedly they mainly mentioned european competition but i can’t honestly remember him being an outstanding match winner in any game Man U have played against any of the other big four.
Now i’m sure people will argue that point but for me Ronaldo has never produced enough on the big occasions , like for example Steven Gerrard did in Liverpool’s CL and FA cup final wins
February 5th, 2008 @ 18:02well i cant argue agaisnt him being an unbelievable forward
February 5th, 2008 @ 18:04Ronaldo is fantastic, but best ever in PL at 23?
I kinda think those labels are to be used on players that has finished their career… He could very well get eaten by luxury life and ignorance (Beckham), alcohol (Adams, Gazza and a few 100s more), drugs (Merson), injuries (Solskjaer amongst 1000s) or simply loosing his momentum.
And even in this season he is right now sharing the top scorer title with Adebayor while being “best ever”? Nah.
But I might agree that this season is amongst the best I have seen in the last 2 decades, with him standing out as 1 of maybe 2-3 players that has been remarkably good…
February 12th, 2008 @ 19:41Don’t be bloody stupid! Only a tunnel visioned Man U fan would even suggest something so stupid!
February 12th, 2008 @ 20:48To be fair on Ronaldo, Adeybayour gets about 15 tap ins because of great play from his team were as Ronaldo Creates his own goals.
February 13th, 2008 @ 12:43He is definately the best 23 year old ever to play in the “premiership” not sure about best player ever but if he keeps playing at this level he will be remembered more. He was 2nd best player in the world cup and after the legend ZiZu, he was the best player in the last Euros. I think these competitions this will be remembered more on a world level, kinda like how more people know about maradona, hagi etc. If he can steer clear of any serious injuries I think he will excel all the players you have talked about and will be remembered in the same sort of breathe as the Johan Cruff’s and Puskas’s
March 21st, 2008 @ 03:56OF COURSE ROnaldo will Be thebest player in United after Cantona And David Beckham…So this is 7 magnificent continue in United…GO ! Ronaldo bring MAnc.Und champions Of Euroupe like in 1999.. BRAVO The best and popular Club Inthe world!!!!
April 7th, 2008 @ 15:23thierry henry is the best player in premiership b,cos he played more tan five season in england winning trophies ronaldo is just starting lets not compair him with those that have crated more than him christiano is good but i believe from next season there will be alot of competition in england players like fabregas, torres, ballack, so let respect our legend in england henry, alan shearer, gorge best, dennis bergkamp and david berkam
April 17th, 2008 @ 11:01I AM FROM NIGERIAN,AS MATTER OF FACT AND HONESTLY SPEAKING NO PLAYER AS FOR THIS SEASON AS EVER PLAYED THE WAY THIS YOUNG GUY HAS EVER PLAYED.CHRISTIANO RONALDO IS SOMEONE WHO THE PEOPLE OF NIGERIAN CAN DO WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT HIS FANTASTIC PERFORMER BUT WHEN WE TALK OF SKILL NIGERIA AUSTIN JAY JAY OKOCHA IS FAR BETTER THAN HIM.I LOVE C.RONALDO
May 9th, 2008 @ 10:45arsenal is boatiful
May 30th, 2008 @ 17:07i wish to have manchester united the best in all their fun of playing
June 13th, 2008 @ 16:54Ronaldo is the best player without doubt…..besides his dribbling, tremendous speed, balance, control, awesome penalties and free kicks, brilliant crosses …..Nobody mentioned he is equally good with both his feet and one of the best headers of the ball in the world. He is what you call a COMPLETE FOOTBALLER,
Oh I almost forgot….., the tremendous mental strength to come back in front of the England fans after the world cup and have an amazing season…..NO ONE CAN MATCH HIM !!!!!!
September 5th, 2008 @ 11:14CRISTIANOO RONALDOOO is the best and he is very creative
December 5th, 2008 @ 15:56and no one play like he plays
Honestly speaking ‘CR7′ is d best player in d world. he has won everything with united and he’s d first EPL player 2 win d FIFPRO and FIFA best player award. He is d best EPL player ever.
June 21st, 2009 @ 09:31