Cristiano Ronaldo Knockout Revealed by Former Sporting CP Team-Mate Phil Babb

Long before his days at Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo was knocked unconscious by former Sporting CP team-mate Phil Babb, who detailed the drama that unfolded after he moved to Lisbon from Liverpool in 2000.

It was during Ronaldo's days as a teenager with Sporting, and Babb revealed in a chat with Sky Sports show Fantasy FC his rather direct method for dealing with the trickster:

Since the incident, the average salary of young players has spiralled, and seasoned veterans may no longer get away with such behaviour. But Babb presumably saw his actions as acceptable at the turn of the century.

Bleacher Report UK provided a transcript of the anecdote in question, with Babb detailing it was a "forearm chop" that did the damage:

It's a decade-and-a-half down the line, and defenders across the continent are still doing their utmost to keep Ronaldo at bay, although few might be so obvious as to tussle with the Real Madrid talisman in the manner Babb did.

ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan commented on the career paths both players have gone down since the incident, which occurred between 2000 and 2002 when Babb was still at Sporting:

Irrespective of the to-the-point aggression he received at former Premier League defender Babb's hands all those years ago, Ronaldo completed a move to Manchester United in 2003, and the rest is history.

The 31-year-old is reaching the end of arguably his most successful year to date, having won the UEFA Champions League and Euro 2016, all while maintaining impressive scoring form for club and country:

It might even have been those early bruises picked up from the ex-Republic of Ireland defender that primed Ronaldo for the test he was to undergo in England's top flight before eventually moving to the Santiago Bernabeu in 2009.

Babb, 45, made 143 appearances for Liverpool and earned 35 caps for his country before hanging up his boots in 2004, per Transfermarkt. But his most memorable career achievement may now be knocking out a young Ronaldo.