‘Mental’ – Cristiano Ronaldo close to 1000 goals but ‘worst miss ever’ left teammates stunned

Cristiano Ronaldo’s road to 1,000 career goals would be going a lot faster had he not missed the biggest chance of his career.

The 40-year-old is now just 41 strikes away from hitting his unprecedented milestone, and he can move one step closer tonight.

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The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who has notched 15 goals in as many Saudi Pro League games, will play as Al-Nassr take on Damac.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s road to 1,000 goals

Damac are just two points above the relegation zone, which means Ronaldowill fancy his chances of adding to his tally this evening.

However, the forward was not always so clinical against teams down the bottom end of the table, as evidenced by one game in 2006.

During Ronaldo’s first stint at Old Trafford, he scored 109 goals in 270 appearances, but there was one game where he made a shocking miss that left his teammates stunned.

At the heart of that surprising moment was an unexpected figure: Sheffield United goalkeeper, Paddy Kenny.

During the 2006/07 season, Kenny impressively didn’t concede a goal to Ronaldo in two matches, though he might have been expected to.

The Red Devils triumphed in both encounters that year, but a shocking miss from Ronaldo in a 2-1 win at Bramall Lane could have turned the tide.

Two decades later, the moment of madness from the world’s greatest goalscorer remains a topic of discussion with Kenny as ever.

The ex-Republic of Ireland goalkeeper exclusively told talkSPORT.com: “It’s mental, that, isn’t it, to think how many games he’s played?

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“Because I played in the game in 2003, the FA Cup semi-final, when David Seaman played his 1,000th career game, so, for someone to achieve that many goals, it’s ridiculous, to be fair.

“Obviously, I don’t think he was a bigger name at that time.

“He was just coming through at Man United, and I think the miss became a thing because of how Ronaldo ended up turning out, and you wouldn’t expect a player with his ability to miss from that sort of range.”

Ronaldo’s greatest career miss

Just 13 minutes into their match 20 years ago, Blades star Keith Gillespie sent the home side ahead with a cheeky glancing header connecting with Derek Geary’s cross.

Manchester United rallied from behind to secure a 2-1 victory, with Wayne Rooney’s brace marking their triumph over their opponents.

Ryan Giggs slipped a low pass to an unmarked Ronaldo, presenting him with a straightforward tap-in, but, in an unexpected twist, he spooned his strike soaring over the bar from three yards.

With their hands on their heads, teammates Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs and Louis Saha were visibly shocked.

Thankfully, it’s fair to say Ronaldo’s developed his composure in front of goal since then…Those 1000 goals should be no problem!

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Supplied

Paddy Kenny was speaking exclusively to talkSPORT on behalf of Midnite, club sponsors of Sheffield United and Southampton, as it brings back The Midnite Express which will see over 100 Blades fans travel to St Mary’s on luxury coaches free of charge for their Championship clash on Wednesday, January 21.

Midnite continues to bring fans closer to the teams they love with exciting partner initiatives.