Football

Cristiano Ronaldo still hungry for goals with Manchester United and Portugal

Combining the right mixture of modern training techniques with a healthy lifestyle, the career of elite athletes can often be prolonged. Cristiano Ronaldo is certainly a fine example, proving that even in one of the most competitive leagues in existence, he still has what it takes to be considered as one of the best footballers in the world.

Having often spoken of his desire to wear the famous jersey of Manchester United again, the Portuguese superstar finally achieved that ambition in the summer of 2021, following a surprising decision to leave Italian giants Juventus. The move undoubtedly raised many eyebrows, with some pundits even claiming the 36-year-old was well past his best.

Nevertheless, after marking his debut with the Red Devils by scoring twice, it’s fair to say that Ronaldo hasn’t lost his keen eye for goals, and is still more than capable of turning in stellar performances. Indeed, the latest English Premier League odds value the 36-year-old as the odds-on favourite, priced at 4/1, to win the PFA Player of the Year 2021-2022 award.

In addition, according to the Premier League betting tips, despite currently being fourth-favourites with odds of 38/5 to take the Premier League title, Manchester United could prove to be rejuvenated enough by the presence of Ronaldo that they go on to take multiple trophies. As it stands, there are odds of 40/1 on Manchester United rising to the occasion with both an EPL and FA Cup win over the 2021/2022 season.

This accolade would be tremendous, especially with the side having failed to claim the English title since the 2012-2013 season.

Undoubtedly, Ronaldo is blessed with natural talent and steely stamina that has afforded him an impressive physical presence, despite being in the twilight of his illustrious footballing career. It’s clear that already, with only a few appearances under his belt this season, Ronaldo could truly be the decisive factor that ultimately helps lead Manchester United to win the Premier League.

The last Premier League crown was achieved in the final managerial campaign of Sir Alex Ferguson, who retired following the 2012-13 season. He actually played an important role in encouraging the return of Ronaldo to Manchester United, once rumours emerged surrounding the possibility that he was going to sign for neighbouring rivals Manchester City.

“As everybody knows, since I signed for Manchester United at 18, Sir Alex Ferguson was the key,” Ronaldo explained in an interview for MUTV. “For me, Sir Alex Ferguson is like a father in football. He helped me a lot, he taught me many things, and in my opinion of course he had a big role because of the relationship that we had,” confirmed Ronaldo regarding Ferguson’s influence.

Shortly after the announcement that Ronaldo was going to sign for Manchester United, having originally departed the club to join Real Madrid in 2009, the iconic attacking player was in action for his national team. Having already established or broken many records during his career, Ronaldo set another with Portugal when they beat the Republic of Ireland in September.

During the crucial 2022 World Cup qualifier, Portugal were, at one point, actually losing against a very formidable and determined Irish team. However, there was no denying Ronaldo later in the game, as he soared in, scoring two magnificent headers. This gave Portugal a precious 2-1 victory and Ronaldo a new international scoring record.

Iranian forward Ali Daei had previously held the record with 109 goals for his country. Having already matched that record, Ronaldo went on to score his 110th and 111th goals for Portugal against Ireland, thus making himself the new international goals record holder.

Age certainly appears to be no barrier for this legendary player, who continues to boast an insatiable appetite for goals and success, for club and country.

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