Manchester United re-signed Christiano Ronaldo from Juventus on a two-year contract with the option to extend further last month.
The team manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who was Ronaldo’s Team mate in Manchester United has confirmed that he will feature against Newcastle on Saturday.
Here is what he said:
“He has been having a good pre-season with Juventus, he has played for the national team,” said Solskjaer at his pre-match news conference.
“He has had a good week with us here and he will definitely be on the pitch at some point that is for sure.
“We know what he has achieved in his career, but he is coming here to achieve more and he is coming here to put demands,” Solskjaer added.
“That is what he does, he has lived his life with the discipline of a top professional. Ever since he came here, I remember he was the first one who did the preparation [for matches] really well.
“We have grown as a group the last few years. The desire, determination and focus has improved all the time.
“Even bringing in Raphael [Varane], he has come in with a winner’s mentality, an unbelievable focus but then of course Cristiano comes in as well. There is no place to hide when you have got winners like them.”
“Everyone evolves and they develop through their career. Of course, Cristiano is a different player to the one who left but he is in such a good knick still and he’ll be looking at the next few years to play as much as he can, score as many goals as he can.
“He is adding something extra. We haven’t got his skillsets in the team, the mix of his skillsets. No one has really because he is, if not the, at least one of the best players that has ever played the game.”
Ronaldo will once again wear the No 7 shirt at Old Trafford after Edinson Cavani gave it up.
“It’s one of these things that Edinson has been remarkable (with), (he) played really, really well last season,” Solskjaer said.
“Cristiano was ringing Edinson and they speak with each other. To pass off his shirt, it just shows the respect he’s got for Cristiano but also Cristiano speaking to Edinson shows the respect the other way.
“Two top, top professionals and players, and human beings.”
Former Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney has said Ronaldo is capable of playing until he is 40 – something Solskjaer agrees with.
“You have got Ryan Giggs who played until he was 40. I am not going to be surprised if Cristiano will end with the same age.”
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