"He's still playing and still hasn't achieved all his dreams" – Nemanja Vidic on Cristiano Ronaldo mentality; makes comparison with Ronaldo Nazario
Manchester United great Nemanja Vidic has showered praise on Al-Nassr attacker Cristiano Ronaldo, asserting that the Portuguese is better than former Real Madrid striker Ronaldo Nazario.
During a recent chat on Rio Ferdinand's YouTube channel, Vidic reminisced about his time playing alongside the Portugal captain at Manchester United. He opined:
"He always had the mentality about wanting to become the best player in the world and he didn't hide it. He was not afraid to say that even in the dressing room. But he also worked hard for it. Everything he achieved, he deserved and he's a great example for every young player coming through to follow. Even his body, he worked for it."
Vidic, who helped the Red Devils lift a whopping 15 trophies, added:
"He's still playing and still hasn't achieved all his dreams because he has set them so high. For me, he's one of the greatest ever, no matter where he played, he was always the best player in that league. I don't think any other player did that before."
Revealing why he the Al-Nassr star is better than the Brazilian, he said:
"Ronaldo Nazario was the best in Spain, but he wasn't the same in Italy. I'm not taking anything away from him, every generation has their own legends. But Cristiano and [Lionel] Messi, they are just unbelievable."
Ronaldo, who helped Brazil win two FIFA World Cup trophies, registered 103 goals and 34 assists in 177 total appearances during his time at Real Madrid. He scored 47 goals and laid out 13 assists in 49 games in all competitions for Barcelona prior to joining Real Madrid.
On the other hand, Ronaldo managed to net 59 goals and record 10 assists in 99 total matches for Inter Milan just before moving to Los Blancos. He registered nine goals and four assists in 20 overall matches for AC Milan, his final European team, between 2007 and 2008.
How brilliant did Cristiano Ronaldo fare in Spain and Italy in his professional career?
After leaving Manchester United for £80 million in 2009, the Sporting CP academy product broke a host of records in Spain. He contributed 450 goals and 131 assists in 438 total appearances for Real Madrid.
The Al-Nassr forward moved to Juventus for an initial £89 million in the summer of 2018. He found the back of the opposition net 101 goals and provided 22 assists in 134 games in all competitions for Juventus.
So far this campaign, the 39-year-old star has netted nine times and laid out three assists in 10 overall matches for his Saudi Pro League side.