How Portsmouth's intimidating Fratton Park caused constant misery for Manchester United and Real Madrid great Ronaldo

Yet with as many red cards as wins, Fratton Park brought little pleasure – and largely misery – to one of football’s greats.

It appears the 37-year-old has made his final appearance in England, with his Manchester United career regarded as over following an outspoken interview with Piers Morgan.

Over his two spells with the Red Devils, Ronaldo played five times at Fratton Park – and tasted victory just once.

It’s a telling statistic which highlights how top sides largely struggled when challenged to deal with the intimidating Pompey atmosphere during seven consecutive Premier League seasons.

As well as losing three times on the south coast, Ronaldo also earned a red card in what would prove to be his final visit in August 2007.

With the scoreline fixed at 1-1 after Benjani Mwaruwari had levelled Paul Scholes’ 15th-minute opener, Harry Redknapp’s side were reduced to 10-men following Sulley Muntari’s dismissal for two bookable offences.

Then, just two minutes later, Ronaldo was issued a red card by referee Steve Bennett after a headbutt on substitute Richard Hughes while defending a corner.

‘Having come off the bench, my instructions were to pick up Ronaldo from set-pieces,’ Hughes explained in Played Up Pompey Three.

‘I knew if he had a run on the ball then his jump was unbelievable, but whenever a manager gave me a job I was aware I had to carry it out to the best of my ability.

‘So when a corner was about to be taken, I deliberately moved towards him to make us collide, yet portrayed it as accidental while the ball sailed over our heads. He knew what I was up to - I was blocking his ability to get a run on the cross.

‘Then another corner opportunity arrived – and this time he was looking out for me. Ronaldo went to push me off, so I flipped his hand away and the timing was perfect, he came stumbling forward and landed against my chest. ‘Get off’ I shouted as he was in my face.

‘Now I wasn’t interested in a head-to-head altercation, so he had to come in a little closer – and, when he did, he popped against the side of my head. He didn't mean to headbutt me, but went in aggressively and ended up doing just that.

‘I don’t actually think he should have been sent off, but it did make a sound and Steve Bennett was right there next to us. I was conscious not to make a huge deal of it, I didn’t go down, but shouted ‘Ref, is he allowed to do that?’. ‘No’ said Bennett – and Ronaldo was shown the red card.’

While that encounter finished in a 1-1 draw, at least it wasn’t a familiar Fratton Park defeat for Manchester United.

Ronaldo’s maiden trip to Pompey was in April 2004, when Steve Stone’s first-half goal earned a 1-0 victory to boost the Blues’ survival hopes during a late-season surge.

The Portugal international came off the bench for Eric Djemba-Djemba for the last 32 minutes, but Sir Alex Ferguson’s side could find no way back.

Just seven months later, Ronaldo and the Red Devils were back at Fratton Park for the 2004-05 season, yet the outcome was the same.

David Unsworth’s penalty and Yakubu secured a 2-0 triumph for Harry Redknapp’s men, marking a fifth win in their opening 11 league matches.

February 2006 would provide Ronaldo’s only joy in a Pompey visit when he scored twice in seven minutes to add to Ruud van Nistelrooy’s opener, leaving the hosts 3-0 down at half-time.

Matt Taylor chipped in with a late consolation in the 3-1 loss, yet relegation concerns continued to grow for the Blues – until the Great Escape was implemented.

Normal service resumed in April 2007, with Rio Ferdinand’s memorable late own-goal adding to Taylor’s opener in the Premier League fixture.

John O’Shea pulled one back in stoppage time, but Pompey were not to be denied, with Ronaldo on the losing side at Fratton Park for a third time.

At least there was no defeat the following campaign, just a red card in his last trip to Pompey before moving to Real Madrid at the season’s end.

And with Pompey’s demise and drop down the leagues, the unhappy hunting ground was never again on a relieved Ronaldo’s fixture list.