Who was Cristiano Ronaldo's first manager at Manchester United?

Sir Alex Ferguson was Cristiano Ronaldo's first manager at Manchester United. Ferguson personally pushed to sign the teenager after Sporting CP defeated United 3–1 in a friendly in Lisbon on 6 August 2003.

Manchester United completed Ronaldo's transfer on 12 August 2003 for £12 million, then a record fee for an English club signing a teenager. Although Ronaldo requested the number 28 shirt he had worn at Sporting, Ferguson gave him the famous number 7 previously associated with players such as George Best, Eric Cantona, and David Beckham.

Ronaldo made his United debut as a substitute in a 4–0 Premier League win over Bolton Wanderers on 16 August 2003. Ferguson remained his manager through Ronaldo's first United spell, including the club's three consecutive Premier League titles from 2007 to 2009. A common mix-up is László Bölöni, who promoted Ronaldo to Sporting's first team; Bölöni was his manager before Manchester United.