I was given the hairdryer treatment because of what Cristiano Ronaldo did to me in the Man United canteen

I was given the hairdryer treatment because of what Cristiano Ronaldo did to me in the Man United canteen

Robbie Brady faced the wrath of his Manchester United manager for allowing Cristiano Ronaldo to get away with cutting the lunch queue.

Robbie Brady ended up in hot water with Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United over an incident with Cristiano Ronaldo

Robbie Brady didn't have too many dealings with Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United - but one encounter with Cristiano Ronaldo earned the Irishman a blast of the hairdryer treatment.

The Republic of Ireland international left United in 2013, the same year Ferguson departed Old Trafford.

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Brady made only one senior appearance for the Reds, coming off the bench in a League Cup victory over Newcastle United. The likes of Wayne Rooney, David de Gea and Darren Fletcher were among the starters for United that day but it was another Old Trafford great that landed Brady in hot water with the boss.

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The Irishman was in the canteen at Carrington waiting for his lunch when Ronaldo jumped the queue and cut in front of the then-young prospect. Brady let it go but Ferguson was watching and quickly chastised him for not standing up to someone he was hoping to play alongside.

“I was still in awe," he admitted in an interview reflecting on the incident.

“When I went over, it was the biggest club in the world,” he said. "Maybe it took me a little while to get what it really took."

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But Ferguson's influence, and United's, has rubbed off on a player now turning out for Preston North End in the Championship after a lengthy playing career that has yielded more than 350 senior appearances for the likes of Norwich City, Hull City and Burnley as well as 72 caps for his country and a starring role at Euro 2016.

It may be 12 years since he left his boyhood club, but the United schooling is always on show for the versatile left-sided player.

"It was massive," he said of coming through the ranks with the Reds. "A lot of that stuff I take into my game now. It was a huge part of my career.

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"It was everything, how you conduct yourself, how you train, how you carry yourself. How you carry yourself as a person has a lot to do with it, there was just lots of little bits. What it means to give the best of yourself every day, not just on the weekend."

And what of Ferguson? A figure who changed football but also changed Brady, even if the pair didn't cross paths too often.

"What a massive figure he is in football and to take anything I could off him was massive for me," Brady added.

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"It was just bits and pieces towards the latter stages when I had a little bit more time spent with him."

For Brady, life at United was far more than a lunchtime lesson.

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