Danny Simpson: Ronaldo got so much stick at Man Utd – Rio teased him relentlessly

My Sporting Life is The i Paper’s look behind the curtain at what drives sports stars to greatness. Ten years on from Leicester City’s stunning Premier League title win, Danny Simpson reflects on the season that changed his life for ever. I thought I’d made it when I assisted Wayne Rooney I probably acted like I did as well. You know, you start going out drinking and doing all sorts. I was a local lad from Manchester, and people started to notice who I was, and so I’d go out and enjoy myself, and yeah, probably liked it a bit too much. Sir Alex Ferguson had to pull me into his office a couple of times. He gave me a few bollockings for sure. I look back now and think there’s no way I should’ve been doing that. Simpson began his career at Manchester United and also played for Leicester, Newcastle United and Queens Park Rangers (Photo: Getty) At the time, you think you know what’s best. What I know now, especially training with that calibre of player and the intensity of it every day, and I was sometimes enjoying it a bit too much off the field, I would’ve done things differently if I had my time again. But I know I’m not the first, I’m not the last and it’s an experience that I can pass onto younger players as well. We used to laugh at Cristiano Ronaldo for having a private chefLook who’s laughing now! He copped a fair bit of stick at Manchester United for that. Rio [Ferdinand] and the rest used to tease him relentlessly. But he knew how to look after himself. That’s why he’s had the career he’s had. He’s the most complete player I’ve ever seen. He would spend hours in the gym after training. Back then, we all knew how good he was. He was just obsessed with being the best. James McClean gave me a good kicking We used to get into a lot of fights. You can’t fight now, but you could back then. We’ve had a bit of banter since about fighting each other, because he’s a good boxer. He was a tough guy. He liked it, I liked it. That was more of a direct competition, but in terms of someone that would pull onto my shoulder, Didier Drogba was a nightmare. I was really young at that point, early 20s I think. He was so big and strong. I know he was a striker, but he’d still come onto me at right-back and try and pin me and stuff. So yeah, I always knew I was in for a battle with them two on the pitch. I’m still in a group chat with the Leicester City boys He considers former captain Wes Morgan, holding the trophy, a close friend (Photo: Getty) It was called “Reunion 2026,” which has happened now, so we probably need to rename it. Maybe 2031, a 15-year reunion. We all meet up when we can. Jamie Vardy still loves winding everyone up. I cried that night we won the league at Vardy’s house. I’m close to Wes Morgan, Riyad Mahrez as well. We get a game of padel in whenever he’s over here. When you go through something like that, you’re bonded for life. But I always want to beat him. He’s the most competitive person you’ll ever meet in your life. I cried when I thought my career was over I got told I’d be out for about seven months. I didn’t have a club, and I tore a tendon off my hip bone training at Leicester. I had a free transfer lined up and ready to go. I was probably a week away from going to a new club, and then played in that practice match, and it was nothing, a bit of a lazy tackle as well. The way I did it was actually technically wrong. I went in with the wrong foot for a tackle and then it pinged. And yeah, I was out for about seven months, and then obviously you’re not going to get signed, so for seven months there was no contract. I wasn’t getting paid. There was no club to rehab me. Leicester helped as much as they could because I wasn’t their player, and the physios have got a lot to do. St George’s Park and the PFA helped, and I came back. Claudio Ranieri and I didn’t see eye to eye at first Danny Simpson famously won the Premier League with Leicester City in 2016 (Photo: Getty) It wasn’t a great start, I’ll be honest. We didn’t have the greatest of first meetings. He told me I could leave, which obviously I didn’t agree with, and I said I wanted to fight for my place at least until January. So he put me in the reserves for pre-season and the first six weeks of the season, I’d get to train some times with the first team, and I just kept my head down and worked hard. The next meeting we had was him saying he got it wrong and that he thought I could help the team and help him. So I made him eat his words a little bit. Fortunately for me, the next game I started and I never looked back. But for him to apologise, it takes a bigger person to do that in life, to admit he got that call wrong. Then I went from strength to strength with him and learned tactically a lot from him.