Throughout his legendary career, it's safe to say Cristiano Ronaldo has achieved just about everything there is to achieve, especially on an individual level. He's played across the world, but one stadium stands out to him the most.
From his early days at Sporting Lisbon, to his big breakthrough at Manchester United, through to his career-defining stint with Real Madrid, Ronaldo has well and truly been there, done that, and got the t-shirt.
He's played in the biggest games in world football, in some of the most impressive grounds the sport has to offer, and the memory of one particular atmosphere has stuck with him after a Champions League match back in 2006.
Turns out, of all the turfs CR7 has graced over the years, his favourite in terms of the atmosphere generated by the home crowd was Celtic's Parkhead stadium.
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Ronaldo's thoughts on the visit to Scotland are shared via Celtic's official website, with the legendary player saying, "The Celtic fans are incredible. It is always great to play there."
Ironically, the Portuguese star's first experience of Celtic Park ended in defeat, with a Shunsuke Nakamura free-kick winning the game for the Hoops late on in the group stage match against Manchester United. In a further two appearances for the Red Devils against Celtic, Ronaldo failed to register a goal for himself, but he didn't lose there again, either.
United's legendary former manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, backed up Ronaldo's sentiments on Parkhead's atmosphere, adding: "Parkhead is THE best I've experienced. The players were just talking about that the other day - Vidic and Ronaldo were saying it's the best atmosphere they had ever played in.
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"Credit to the supporters for that because they don't half raise the roof. It's obvious the Celtic players react to it given the results they've had. You are going to have to run that extra yard or you will soon be found out by them."
Interestingly, Lionel Messi has also cited Celtic Park as a "special" atmosphere and one he will never forget from his time at Barcelona. Clearly, the fans in Scotland know how to leave a lasting impression.
Topics: Cristiano Ronaldo, Celtic, Manchester United, Man Utd
Jakob Barnes