Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot says Cristiano Ronaldo once warned him that a striker at the club would not succeed because he lacked the intensity needed to play at Old Trafford.
Dalot made the disclosure in a piece published on the Players' Tribune on Friday, reflecting on his time training alongside Ronaldo during the Portuguese forward's return to United in 2022. He did not name the striker in question.
The left-back painted a picture of Ronaldo as a meticulous observer of detail, someone who noticed everything from gym sessions to tactical positioning. Dalot said the five-time Ballon d'Or winner had a gift for spotting whether players had what it took to reach the top level.
"That season with Cristiano was when I really started to grow as a player and as a person," Dalot wrote. "I lost count of the number of predictions he got right, because he knows so well what it takes to go to the top. If anyone skipped a set in the gym, he would notice."
Dalot then described the incident with the unnamed striker. "We had a striker here who did really well for us in his first season, but Cristiano said, 'He's not gonna make it here,'" the defender recalled. The comment, according to Dalot, reflected Ronaldo's assessment that the player lacked the necessary drive and intensity to sustain success at United.
Ronaldo and Dalot's time together at United lasted less than a year. Ronaldo made his dramatic return to the Premier League club in September 2022 but departed in December after a public fallout with manager Erik ten Hag. The disagreement stemmed from limited playing time and tactical differences.
Dalot, however, spoke positively about the influence Ronaldo had on him during their brief period as teammates. The Portuguese star's presence and work ethic clearly left an impression on the young defender, who credited him with helping his development both on and off the pitch.
