Video has resurfaced showing Roy Keane appearing to call Cristiano Ronaldo a “w****” and “p****” during a Manchester United match.
Not many Manchester United players would scream in the dressing room to knock Keane down, not even Sir Alex Ferguson.
The former Red Devils captain is known for keeping his players on the same page – sometimes even doling out tough love.
Even Ronaldo received a barrage of criticism when Manchester United played Southampton in December 2004.
The Portugal star was handed an easy goal-scoring opportunity in just his second season at Old Trafford.
Paul Scholes’ shot was saved by Casey Keller, on emergency loan from Tottenham Hotspur, but the rebound fell to Ronaldo.
Learn more about Cristiano Ronaldo
Instead of putting the ball away, the striker tried to beat the American – and his shot went over the crossbar.
This ignited Keane’s anger and he was immediately furious at his teammates for not intervening.
United were 2-0 up at the time, but that meant little to the perfectionist Keane.
Instagram account roykeane_archives reposted the video, which shows the Manchester United legend losing his cool with Ronaldo.
No lip reading was needed to piece together what he might have said, as he appeared to yell: “Put the ball in the net, you f******.”
It can be said that this message was received and understood by Ronaldo, and he will not make the same mistake again.
The winger’s superb volley gave the Red Devils a three-goal lead moments later and he was immediately surrounded by teammates cheering him on.
At just 19 years old, Ronaldo learned a harsh but valuable lesson and used the same mentality to become one of the greatest players in football history.
While his goal against Southampton was just one of his five in the Premier League, he will make huge strides in the coming years.
He went on to score 118 goals for Manchester United, including winning the first of his five career Ballon d’Or awards in 2008.
Then Real Madrid came calling and Ronaldo’s legacy was cemented over an incredible nine years, scoring 450 goals in 438 games and winning four Champions League titles in the process.