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‘For two weeks Cristiano Ronaldo was tearing his hair out, he was going bananas’: Darren Fletcher reveals how Walter Smith’s clever plan to allow all fouls on Portuguese superstar sparked transformation at Manchester United

Darren Fletcher has divulged how a left-field training method from Walter Smith was the making of Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United.

Former Red Devils midfielder Fletcher, who was at the club from 2003 to 2015, played with Ronaldo for six years after the Portuguese moved to United at 18 years of age in 2003.

Ex-Scotland and Rangers coach Smith had a brief stint as Sir Alex Ferguson's assistant at Old Trafford in Ronaldo's first season, and opted not to give the winger fouls so he learnt to use the ball more productively.