Cristiano Ronaldo told Diogo Dalot that a Manchester United striker was 'not gonna make it' at Old Trafford because he lacked the necessary 'fire', according to a new revelation from the Portuguese full-back. Ronaldo returned to the Premier League club in 2021, joining a squad that had struggled for silverware since the Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Ronaldo's blunt assessment
During his second stint at United, Ronaldo quickly identified that one of his teammates did not have the hunger required for long-term success. Dalot, writing in the Players' Tribune, recalled: 'That season with Cristiano was when I really started to grow as a player and as a person. I lost count of the number of predictions he got right, because he knows so well what it takes to go to the top.'
Dalot continued: 'If anyone skipped a set in the gym, he would notice. We had a striker here who did really well for us in his first season, but Cristiano said, 'He's not gonna make it here'. I said, 'Cris, he scored two goals today!' He said, 'Yeah, but he didn't have the fire to go for the third.''
Mystery striker
Dalot did not name the player in question, and statistics from that campaign offer few clues. During Ronaldo's first season back, the only player besides the Portuguese icon to score a brace in a single match across all competitions was Bruno Fernandes, who netted twice in a draw at Aston Villa in January. The strikers on United's books at the time included Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Mason Greenwood, and Edinson Cavani.
Ronaldo left Manchester United after 18 months, following a controversial interview with Piers Morgan. He now plays in Saudi Arabia and continues to perform at a high level into his 40s. The veteran forward is set to feature for Portugal at his sixth World Cup this summer.
Dalot defends Ronaldo's World Cup place
Dalot dismissed any debate about Ronaldo's inclusion in the Portugal squad, saying: 'To me, it's totally crazy that anyone could even debate whether he should play at the World Cup. Is he running like he's 22? No. Is he scoring a goal per game? Yes. Does he make us all better? Yes. The guy is 41. He doesn't need to be there, playing with people who are young enough to be his kids, but he is. Every time you meet him, you leave a little wiser.'
