A former Premier League star has revealed he "regrets not smashing" into Cristiano Ronaldo during their encounters in the English top flight.
Ronaldo enjoyed a successful first stint at Old Trafford between 2003 and 2009, leaving the club having won 10 major pieces of silverware, including three Premier League trophies and the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League title.
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With the Portuguese superstar shining at the time for United he remains the last player to win the Ballon d'Or on the back of a season in the EPL he was also the target of some brutal tackles from opponents.
This is the way Rooney used to stand up for Ronaldo when they were teammates. Sacrificed himself and accommodated Ronaldo so he could succeed.@Cristiano has now backstabbed him because of some constructive criticism. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. pic.twitter.com/NRQsYme3JS
— David. (@Rooney_esque) November 15, 2022
Former Reading FC midfielder Stephen Hunt has now opened up about his encounters with the 38-year-old, expressing his regret at not leaving more of a mark on the player, so to speak.
"It sounds worse than what it is," Hunt said on the House of Football podcast.
"But actually, I do regret it but at the same time, I understood where I was at at the time.
"He Cruyff-turned into me blindly and I had an opportunity to take the ball off him.
"You know when you get that chance, 'I can leave one in here, get the ball and man'.
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"You can get away with it without VAR.
"I actually just took the ball off him and I thought, 'Okay, I could have smashed you there'.
"Back then, fans rise off their seat, and you can lift off and you can gain confidence throughout the whole stadium. That could be a momentum shift.
"Listen, I was only sent off twice in 22 years, but I always knew when I was on the edge.
"I always knew 'if I do this, I'm going to get sent off; if I do this, I'm on the line'.
"I always knew when I'd get away with it."
Hunt and Ronaldo came up against each other five times in England, with the latter being on the winning side on two occasions, while the other three fixtures ended in draws.
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