A former Manchester United player who starred alongside Cristiano Ronaldo has lifted the lid on what he was really like behind the scenes.
Retired goalkeeper Ben Foster, who arrived at Old Trafford in the summer of 2005, sat right next to Ronaldo in the dressing room for four years before the Portuguese ace departed for Real Madrid in 2009.
Ronaldo won three Premier League titles with United during that period, along with one Champions League and two League Cups, as well as earning his first Ballon d'Or at the age of 23.
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In addition to watching the forward's meteoric rise on the pitch, Foster also gained a unique insight into his personality away from the limelight. And the ex-England and Wrexham shot-stopper only has good words to say after praising Ronaldo's strong work ethic.
"He was good as gold, and he was absolutely fine," the 41-year-old said on the Fozcast podcast. "He was just one of the lads, but he was a workhorse, and he was very rarely just sitting there, chatting, or having a good time. He was always off doing something."
The 40-year-old goal-scoring machine has faced accusations of being a divisive figure in the dressing room in the past, having shown tendencies to prioritise himself over the team. While Foster's comments highlighted the Portuguese star's drive to succeed, they also showed that during his first spell, he caused no issues with his teammates.
However, Ronaldo's second spell at United proved more difficult after returning in 2021. It ended on acrimonious terms after a public falling-out with then-manager Erik ten Hag. He was also alleged by some figures to have become a disruptive influence in the dressing room before parting ways with the club as part of a mutual agreement in November 2022.
Foster, however, said he did not recognise claims of Ronaldo as a negative presence among his teammates. Speaking previously to talkSPORT, he added that he was not the type of person to cause problems.
He said: "He was honestly proper sound and I would never have a bad word to say about him, because everybody knows he's super professional. Ronaldo would integrate with the lads, and he would have a good laugh but it was never disruptive - he would always do things properly. I guarantee you he isn't going in there and kicking up a fuss."
Since leaving United for Al-Nassr, Ronaldo has continued to score at a frightening rate despite his advancing years, with 84 goals in 95 games for the Saudi Arabian outfit.
