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How not punishing fouls in training turned Ronaldo into a team player at Man Utd

An unusual tactic from former Manchester United coach Walter Smith helped develop Cristiano Ronaldo into the legend he has become, Darren Fletcher has revealed.

The Portuguese first excelled at Old Trafford in a career that has seen him gone on to win five Ballons d’Or as well as armfuls of silverware in England, Spain with Real Madrid and now in Italy with Juventus.

Fletcher, a former midfield team-mate with the Red Devils, has revealed that Ronaldo used to infuriate his cohorts with his tendency to dwell in possession and that Smith took rather extreme action in order to cure the Portuguese star.