CRISTIANO RONALDO quit Manchester United to join Real Madrid in the summer of 2009.
Rapidly making a name for himself in England, Los Blancos wanted the Portuguese star, now 35, to become their latest Galactico.
How Real Madrid lined up for Cristiano Ronaldo’s debut
And Ronaldo would give Bernabeu fans their first glimpse of himself in their famous white kit with a glamour tie against Irish side Shamrock Rovers.
Real Madrid would sneak through the game with a 1-0 win.
But who did Ronaldo line-up alongside that day – and where are they now?
GK – Jerzy Dudek
Jerzy Dudek finished his playing career at Real Madrid
HAVING written himself into Liverpool’s history books with his best Bruce Grobbelaar impression in the 2005 Champions League final, Dudek quit in 2007.
The Polish stopper moved on to Real Madrid, where he would play just two LaLiga games, stuck behind Iker Casillas at the time.
After retiring in 2011, then still at Los Blancos, he became a racer – taking part in the Volkswagen Castrol Cup across Europe.
Now spends a lot of his time on the golf course, calling it his “passion”.
RB – Miguel Torres
Miguel Torrres, right, started Ronaldo’s debut at right-back
HAVING worked his way through the youth ranks, Torres played 52 league games for Real Madrid – but was sold the summer of Ronaldo’s debut.
After the game against Shamrock Rovers, he joined Getafe where he would go on to play over 100 times.
He also enjoyed stints at Olympiacos and Malaga before retiring at the end of last season.
CB – Pepe
Pepe spent a decade at Real Madrid but is now at Porto
THE famous hothead spent the majority of his career at Real, before joining Besiktas in 2017 after a decade at the Bernabeu.
After wo seasons in Turkey, the Portuguese star headed to Porto – where he still plays today.
CB – Christoph Metzelder
Metzelder was investigated by police in September
A FRINGE player at Real after joining from Borussia Dortmund, Metzelder would play just 21 times in LaLiga in three seasons in Spain.
He moved on to Schalke and then TuS Haltern in his native Germany before retiring in 2014.
Most-recently, Metzelder was president of TuS Haltern before stepping down in September 2019 amidst a police investigation.
LB – Marcelo
Marcelo is still a Real Madrid player to this day
STILL a Real Madrid player to this day, Marcelo had joined the club two seasons before Ronaldo.
He has become a club legend, playing over 500 times in all competitions, winning four LaLiga titles and four Champions League crowns.
RM – Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo made his Real Madrid debut against Shamrock
THE man himself, Ronaldo left Man Utd and got his first taste of action for Real against Shamrock in 2009.
Ronaldo, now a 164-cap, 99-goal Portugal international, scored 450 goals in just 438 games in all competitions for Real Madrid.
He left to join Juventus in a £99million move in the summer of 2018 where he still plays today.
CM – Fernando Gago
Gago started in midfield for Ronaldo’s debut in Ireland
THE Argentine midfielder made a name for himself at Real after joining in 2007 – playing over 120 games in five years there.
He moved back to Argentine in 2013 after a stint at Valencia to join Boca Juniors and is now at Velez Sarsfield, whom he joined last year.
CM – Lassana Diarra
Diarra spent three fairly successful years at Real Madrid
THE Chelsea, Arsenal and Portsmouth flop secured a shock move to Real Madrid in 2009 and also made his debut against Shamrock.
Diarra played 87 times across three years for the Spaniards in LaLiga before spells in Russia, France and the UAE saw him bring down the curtain on his career at Paris Saint-Germain between 2017-19
He retired immediately after having his contract mutually terminated.
LM – Guti
Real Madrid legend Guti started Cristiano Ronaldo’s debut
THE Real Madrid legend was at the club between 1986 and 2010, including his years in the youth ranks.
He made over 500 appearances for Los Blancos before moving to Besiktas for a one-season Swanson.
Since retiring in 2011, Guti has taken charge of Real Madrid’s youth team, been Besiktas’ assistant boss and is now Almeria manager.
ST – Raul
Real Madrid icon Raul started up front against Shamrock
A GENUINE Real Madrid legend, Raul scored 323 goals in 741 appearances for the club after working his way from the youth team to first team.
The Spaniard wound down his career with stints at Schalke, Al Sadd and New York Cosmos.
Having taken charge of Real Madrid’s Under-15s, he is now boss of Castilla – the club’s “B” team.
ST – Gonzalo Higuain
Gonzalo Higuain played up front alongside Raul in Ireland
WITH 107 goals in just 190 LaLiga games, Higuain was one of Europe’s most-feared at one stage.
He even broke the Serie A season scoring record 36 goals for Napoli in 2016-17.
But he’s failed to replicate his top form at Juventus – where he plays now – lately after a hot start and struggled during his brief loan spells at Chelsea and AC Milan.
Cristiano Ronaldo pulls off incredible trick shot at Juventus training ahead of Serie A return
SUBS
Michel Salgado – Legendary defender now in charge of Galicia after playing spells at Blackburn and Independiente.
Ezequiel Garay – Now at Valencia, where he’s been since 2016.
Gabriel Heinze – Former Man Utd defender was most-recently manager of Velez Sarsfield but quit at the end of last season.
Royston Drenthe – The controversial winger fell out with Jose Mourinho at Real and has bounced around ever since, including spells at Everton and Reading. Now at Dutch minnows Kozakken Boys.
Dani Parejo – Now a Valencia legend after nearly a decade at the club after leaving Real Madrid via QPR (loan) and Getafe.
Rafael van der Vaart – Former Spurs legend kicked off a professional career in darts in 2019.
Wesley Sneijder – Retired last year following spells at Inter Milan, Galatasaray, Nice and Al-Gharafa.
Alvaro Negredo – Now at Al-Nasr, Negredo also played for Sevilla, Manchester City and Valencia, amongst others, since leaving the Bernabeu.
Karim Benzema – Still at Real Madrid to this day as the rest of his old team-mates disappeared around him.
Marcos Tebar – Now at Indian side Odisha, Tebar has endured a journeyman career since leaving Real, including a stint at Brentford.
Cristiano Ronaldo trains in back garden with son Cristiano Jr as Juventus forward shares heartwarming video ahead of return
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
