Man Utd legend Solskjaer reveals Cristiano Ronaldo demanded to skip games… but then kicked off when he was benched
OLE GUNNAR SOLSJKAER has revealed Cristiano Ronaldo kicked off when he was benched after arriving at Manchester United – despite asking not to play.
The superstar was signed in 2021 to help boost United’s Premier League winning chances after Solskjaer had finished second the year before.
Ronaldo joined in the same summer as Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho and he hit the ground running.
He scored twice on his second debut against Newcastle and again in his second game against West Ham.
The Portuguese then started against Aston Villa for the third consecutive game – just as he had requested.
Solksjaer then benched him at his request but Ronaldo still threw his toys out of the pram, according to the Norwegian.
Appearing on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet, Solskjaer said: “Part of signing Cristiano Ronaldo was getting that passion from him, but that did have its complications.
“You’ve got Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, who can learn from Cristiano as he’s the best, the most disciplined and he’s been the best player in the world, and you think he’s going to help them.
“When he arrived at the club, he told me to start him for three games in a row, and then put me on the bench for the fourth game, but he’s so passionate so when I did that, he didn’t like it.”
Despite a rocky start, Solskjaer revealed he did not have many problems with Ronaldo during his second stint at Old Trafford.
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Ronaldo stormed off the pitch after being subbed on more than one occasion, but Solskjaer believes he behaved well even when he was disappointed.
He added: “When I was manager of Manchester United, I can’t remember too many problems from Cristiano Ronaldo.
“It was the game against Everton when he walked straight off the pitch after I brought him on as a substitute, but there were more problems with him after I had left the club.
“I had a good relationship with Cristiano and there’s loads of respect between us. I think he behaved really well in his disappointments when I was there.”