By Ayobami Okerinde Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has criticised Cristiano Ronaldo over his recent conduct with Portugal, saying the forward’s actions have made him more difficult to like and could overshadow his achievements in football. Neville made the comments on The Overlap Daily while discussing Ronaldo’s abrupt departure from the Portugal squad ahead of their clash with Denmark following a reported disagreement with head coach Jorge Jesus.
The former England international, who played alongside Ronaldo at Manchester United for six years before the Portuguese forward left for Real Madrid in 2009, said he was disappointed by the player’s statement explaining his decision. “I actually love him to bits. I can’t sit here and say I approve of that statement and think it was a good thing for him to do; it makes him more difficult to like.
If you love him, it makes him more difficult to like; if you don’t like him, it makes you dislike him even more. In another year, when he’s retired, we will look back upon his greatness in football, and people won’t remember this ending,” Neville said.
Ronaldo had blamed Jesus for his decision to leave the national team camp, saying he felt let down after being left out of Portugal’s UEFA Nations League match against Norway. He also accused the coach of breaking a promise. The forward later apologised to his teammates and the Portuguese public for his abrupt departure, adding that he was prepared to accept any punishment from the Portuguese Football Federation.
He also insisted that he was not retiring from international football. Neville also revisited Ronaldo’s second spell at Manchester United, saying the forward did not show younger players the same patience and support he had received from senior teammates during his early years at the club. “I