Jose Mourinho has named Ronaldo as the best player he has seen – just not the one you might expect.
Having managed fellow countryman Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid, Mourinho is known to be a huge fan of the former Manchester United man.
For many supporters, the debate over who is the greatest comes down to the Juventus star against Barcelona hero Lionel Messi, who Mourinho has never coached but has faced on numerous occasions.
That pair have won 11 Ballon d’Ors between them, but, when asked to choose the finest he has seen, Mourinho opted for former Brazil striker Ronaldo, who was starring for Barca while the Portuguese was working at the club under Bobby Robson.
“Ronaldo, El Fenomeno,” Mourinho told LiveScore. “Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi have had longer careers, they have remained at the top every day for 15 years.
“However, if we are talking strictly about talent and skill, nobody surpasses Ronaldo [Nazario]. When he was at Barcelona with Bobby Robson, I realised that he was the best player I'd ever seen take to the field.
“Injuries killed a career that could have been even more incredible, but the talent that that 19-year-old boy had was something incredible.”
