When Pele named his favourite footballers of all time
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Rio Ferdinand made a surprise pick when naming the best finisher he ever saw at Manchester United as he snubbed his good friend Cristiano Ronaldo.
The retired centre-back had a successful stint at United since joining the club from Leeds United in 2002 as he won six league titles and a Champions League before moving on in 2014.
During his time as a Red Devil, Ferdinand, now 44, played alongside some big names in the sport, including lethal finishers like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, and even Robin van Persie in the latter years of his career.
When Pele named his favourite footballers of all time
FootballBut when naming the deadliest goal scorer for United, Ferdinand snubbed all these names as he picked Dutchman Ruud van Nistelrooy for that title.
In an interview with ManUtd.com, Ferdinand said:
“Ruud for me. I think all the other strikers (he’s played with) would agree with that, as well.”
“Ole is up there, he was a thinking finisher. His finishes were always calm and he was great at instinctive things but I have to go with Ruud. He was clinical and the most ruthless finisher I’ve played with.”
Van Nistelrooy is regarded as a cult hero among Manchester United fans, as he was crucial to the club’s success in the early 2000s.
Ferdinand may also have a strong case by naming the Dutchman as the best finisher, as Van Nistelrooy racked up an impressive 150 goals in just 219 appearances for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side before joining Real Madrid in 2006, according to Transfermakt.
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FootballHis goal tally puts him in the top 10 of Manchester United’s all-time top scorers. Interestingly, he sits five goals above five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo, who had two spells at Old Trafford.
Sports Brief also reported on Scot McTominay’s goal which was painfully disallowed by the Video-Assisted Referee (VAR).
The midfielder scored the goal for his Scottish side during their Euro 2024 qualifier game against Spain at the Estadio de La Cartuja in Sevilla on October 12.
The Manchester United star came into this game on the back of the quickfire stoppage time brace against Brentford over the weekend. He stood over the freekick near the byline in the 60th minute, with many expecting him to try and find a teammate in the area.