“He does not play like a 39-year-old” - Portugal boss Roberto Martinez lauds Cristiano Ronaldo's work ethic
Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez has said Cristiano Ronaldo still shows the players how to carry themselves. He believes the AL Nassr star does not play like a 39-year-old and has an incredible work ethic.
Speaking to the media, the Portugal manager said Ronaldo will likely play 60 minutes in the UEFA Nations League match against Scotland on Tuesday (October 15). He added that the former Real Madrid star pushes himself to play every game possible, saying (via GOAL):
"I think the age of a player doesn't come to play. Ronaldo doesn't work as a 39-year-old player. He doesn't play certainly as a 39-year-old player. I think we are assessing every player and how they feel. Cristiano has been working really well in this camp."
"I think the difficulty of playing two games away from home is more how can you prepare between the two games. How can you recover with the players? But I have no doubt that Cristiano after 60 minutes can be involved in the second game. I don't know if he can start or if he can finish the game. But he can certainly be involved as he showed in the last camp," Martinez added.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been in fine form this season and has scored in all but one of the last nine matches for club and country. He has scored in each of Portugal's last three matches and will aim to keep the streak going.
Portugal is not just about Cristiano Ronaldo, claims Roberto Martinez
In September, Roberto Martinez said Cristiano Ronaldo was not his main focus while managing the Portugal national team. He claimed the aim was to develop young players and take them to the highest level.
Martinez said (via BBC):
"What an incredible opportunity we have with players like Ronaldo, with players like Pepe, to develop the young players in the dressing room in the best possible way. We've got 10 million population and the amount of players that we have in the highest levels, it speaks volumes of the development that we have in this country and the talent and the mentality and everything comes from examples like Cristiano and Pepe."
Portugal take on Scotland in the UEFA Nations League clash on Tuesday (October 15). Cristiano Ronaldo's side are on top with three wins in as many matches, while the Scottish opponents have lost all three of their matches.