Cristiano Ronaldo came face-to-face with new Match of the Day host Kelly Cates when he was interviewed by the broadcaster during his first spell as a Manchester United player. And the blockbuster star appeared to be offended by one particular question as he swore in disbelief.
The 39-year-old initially spent six years at Old Trafford after joining the club from Sporting in 2003. He went on to star for Real Madrid and Juventus before joining United for a second time in 2021.
The Portugal international then had his contract in the north west terminated in November 2022 and signed for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League soon afterwards.
Ronaldo endured a tough start to life in Manchester as a youngster but soon became a household name and starred for the team on a weekly basis.
His first stint at Old Trafford coincided with a fruitful period in United’s history, with the team lifting a host of trophies under Sir Alex Ferguson.
The player helped the Red Devils win three Premier Leagues, the Champions League and the Club World Cup as well as two League Cups and the FA Cup. He even won the first of his five Ballon d’Ors during that time.
And during a Premier League clash with Aston Villa in March 2008, he opened the scoring with a cheeky backheel, before teeing up another three goals in a 4-0 victory.
But the ace wasn’t happy when Cates asked him if the strike was deliberate during a post-match interview with Setanta Sports.
“One of the most memorable [goals I’ve witnessed] was years ago,” Cates told FourFourTwo as she detailed her interaction with Ronaldo. “I think it was against Aston Villa and it was pouring with rain.
“Cristiano Ronaldo sort of backheeled it, he did something strange. In the commentary they said, ‘I’m not sure how deliberate it was,’ or something like that.
“The reason it sticks in my mind is because I did the post-match interview and asked, ‘Did you mean it?’ He went, ‘Sorry?’
“I didn’t think he’d heard, but he had and he was like, ‘Are you f***ing kidding me? Yeah I meant it.’ It’s more the shame of it all that stays with me.”
Sky Sports host Cates has been lined-up to replace Gary Lineker on Match of the Day, with the BBC set to rotate three presenters to anchor the show. Cates will share the role with Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan, with Lineker stepping down at the end of the season.
