“Everyone can look at him as a shining example of how to do it”– Tom Heaton on Manchester United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo
Manchester United goalkeeper Tom Heaton recently shared his two cents on Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Old Trafford this summer.
Heaton is the only player on the current roster who has played with the Portuguese prodigy before. Heaton also spent almost 11 years away from the club but was recalled this summer on a two-year contract with an option of a third - the same length as Ronaldo's.
The 35-year-old goalkeeper described his reunion with Ronaldo and revealed the kind of impact the latter's work ethic and discipline have had on the roster. Here's what he said about his teammate:
"It's been nice to reconnect with him. I have been massively impressed with his work ethic and application, how he goes about it. I was there the first time around when he was here too. The work he put in and how he went about his game, if anything it's still right at it, with a slight difference in how he looks after his body and how on it he is."
Heaton concluded by saying:
"I think everyone can look at him as a shining example of how to do it - he's at the pinnacle. It's good to be around him again."
A couple of months ago, Tom Heaton revealed how Cristiano Ronaldo would play a pivotal role in the development of the next generation at Manchester United by setting the standard around the training ground.
Heaton felt that Ronaldo's presence would not only benefit the players on the pitch but also behind the scenes in building their character.
Cristiano Ronaldo has had a monumental impact on Manchester United so far
Cristiano Ronaldo spent 12 years away from the club, nine at Real Madrid and three at Juventus. His return to Old Trafford was pretty shocking but there is no doubt that he has had a monumental impact on the team.
Cristiano Ronaldo has managed to score five goals in seven matches, including a clutch goal against Villarreal in the group stages of the Champions League.
Despite not being able to score a winner against Everton last weekend, the Manchester United forward bagged the Premier League Player of the Month award for September.
Ronaldo managed to win ahead of Manchester City defender Joao Cancelo, Chelsea's Antonio Rudiger, Allan Saint-Maximin of Newcastle, Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah and Watford's Ismaila Sarr.
Welcome back to the #PL, @Cristiano 😍🥇
#MUFC
Proud to be elected Player Of The Month among so many great players in the Premier League. Thanks to all my teammates at Man. United, couldn’t have done it without them. Let’s keep working hard and the results will come!🔴⚫️💪🏽 https://t.co/OFFmdyfJ7z