Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has claimed that Thierry Henry holds a grudge against Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese forward joined United at a time when the club’s rivalry with Arsenal was a staple of the Premier League title race. Ronaldo was a teenager in his debut season when Henry’s teammates enjoyed their unbeaten league campaign, but United would reclaim the title in 2007 before Henry left for Barcelona.
Both men are viewed as two of the best players in the Premier League era, though Ronaldo arguably enjoyed more of his peak years at Real Madrid. However, Ferdinand feels that the Arsenal icon has an issue with Ronaldo, possibly stemming from the battles between the Gunners and United.
“It’s like he’s downplaying Cristiano a lot,” Ferdinand told Andreas Poke. “There was a clip at Highbury when Henry slaps him on the back of his head or something like that and Cristiano pushes him off.
“Cristiano then scored the winner and Henry’s taking the kick-off with the goalscorer in the background. There seems like there’s a little bit of a subplot story that maybe makes it with Thierry and it’s probably still in his mind in moments like that.”
Despite Ferdinand sensing there is tension between the pair, they were pictured embracing before a game against Tottenham Hotspur during Ronaldo’s second stint at Old Trafford. Henry clearly respects the five-time Balon d’Or winner but has discussed his impact on Ronaldo Nazario’s legacy.
Asked if he had ever asked for an opponent’s shirt, Henry told CBS Sports: “I did, Ronaldo, R9. The real one. Growing up, how many Ronaldos did you know when you were growing up? In the game, people would say he’s the real one. Ronaldo is R9, Cristiano is Cristiano Ronaldo.”
Coincidentally, Ferdinand also feels that the Brazilian striker views the ex-United forward as a rival due to their shared name. “There’s beef there somewhere, you know,” he added. “It’s because of the name. I think because of the name, as if he says, ‘You took my name, so I have a problem with you’.”
