CHRIS WHEELER: Cristiano Ronaldo made it clear he has no plans to call it a day after a scintillating display to net a hat-trick against Tottenham… this is a man who still cares passionately about winning – for his team and for himself
- Cristiano Ronaldo scored a scintillating hat-trick in the 3-1 win over Tottenham
- The Portuguese superstar has taken his tally for the season to 18 goals
- He showed he still cares passionately about winning, for his team and for himself
- It wouldn’t be easy to replace the amount of goals he has if he was to depart
Tom Brady graced us with his presence in the directors’ box at Old Trafford, a reminder that even the greatest have to call it a day in the end.
Down on the pitch, Cristiano Ronaldo was harbouring no such thoughts. At 37, he is seven years younger than Brady who retired in February after narrowly failing to add to his record seven Super Bowl victories.
The Portugal star also feels he has still has so much to offer, a point he hammered home quite emphatically against Tottenham.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a scintillating hat-trick as United beat Tottenham 3-2 at Old Trafford
Make no mistake, there must have been times in the past week when Ronaldo questioned whether he is wasting his time back at Manchester United – doubts that will not have disappeared in spite of this victory.
Absent from the Manchester derby, he waltzed off to Portugal without United’s knowledge to recover from a hip flexor injury or maybe just a bruised ego after being asked to sit on the bench.
Either way, he looked remarkably sprightly after just a couple of days back in full training. ‘I’m glad he’s recovered,’ mused Roy Keane on Sky Sports. ‘Clearly a few days in Portugal has done the trick for an injury problem.’
Restored to the starting line-up, Ronaldo took little more than 11 minutes to make his point with a sumptuous strike from 25 yards.
It was only his second goal in 11 games this year but another followed just 26 minutes later, this one a tap-in from Jadon Sancho’s cross. Not so much ‘siu!’ this time as ‘hip, hip hooray!’.
He was at it again in the 81st minute, powering in a header from Alex Telles’ corner to complete a 59th career hat-trick and keep United’s hopes of Champions League qualification intact.
What a response. What a performance. This is a man who still cares passionately about winning, for his team and for himself.
Ronaldo showed he still cares passionately about winning, for his team and for himself
Much of Ronaldo’s dissatisfaction since returning to United has centred around just how far standards have slipped since the glory days under Sir Alex Ferguson.
It may yet lead to him leaving Old Trafford for a second time this summer. Even more so if United are playing on Thursday nights in the Europa League.
But anyone who doubts whether United would miss him clearly wasn’t watching this game.
Sure, a club of its stature cannot continue to rely so heavily on a 37-year-old, even one as fit as Ronaldo. He doesn’t track back very well. And, yes, he’s prone to having a strop.
Tom Brady (right) was at Old Trafford to witness Ronaldo create history on Saturday
But he has 18 goals for the season now – twice as many as United’s next highest scorer, Bruno Fernandes, on nine – and sometimes the stats speak for themselves. It wouldn’t be easy to replace that amount of goals.
It remains to be seen if Ronaldo decides he’s done all he can for the club. If so, he will leave us with some more fantastic memories, and this was right up there with Villarreal, Newcastle and Atalanta this season.
As he left the pitch to a standing ovation at Old Trafford, Brady rose from his seat to applaud a fellow superstar. And the GOAT knows greatness when he sees it.
