"He worked hard to be the best ever" - Manchester United attacker names Cristiano Ronaldo as his sporting idol
Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund has named Cristiano Ronaldo as his sporting idol speaking glowingly about the Red Devils icon's work ethic.
Hojlund is tasked with following in Ronaldo's footsteps following his £72 million move to Old Trafford in the summer. The Danish frontman has made a promising start to his United career with five goals in four UEFA Champions League games.
The 20-year-old revealed that he always used to look up to Cristiano Ronaldo who departed Manchester United in November 2022. He said (via UtdDistrict):
"He [Cristiano Ronaldo] is the greatest goalscorer ever. I've always looked at him back in the day when he was more of a dribbler and now he's a proper, proper goalscorer. He had proper talent but he worked hard to be the best ever and I like that about him.”
Ronaldo's meteoric rise to the top of world football started at Old Trafford. He was a young up-and-comer during his first spell with the Red Devils, boasting speed, agility, and a silky skillset.
However, the Portuguese hero improved on his physique and became one of the greatest attackers in history. He netted 145 goals in 346 games across competitions at Manchester United over the course of two spells.
That contributes towards an overall record of 730 goals in 984 club games, making the Al-Nassr superstar club football's all-time top goalscorer. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is also international football's greatest goalscorer with 127 goals in 203 caps for Portugal.
Rio Ferdinand warns Manchester United about Hojlund being left in a similar situation to Cristiano Ronaldo
Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand has warned his former club that Hojlund's lack of service from his fellow attackers could end in tears. The Englishman said on his Vibe with FIVE podcast (via GOAL):
"Ruud van Nistelrooy more or less had Cristiano Ronaldo in tears almost one day, saying, ‘How can I make my runs when you don’t cross the ball?’ That’s how Hojlund must feel right now with the wide players he’s playing with."
Hojlund has had to deal with an inconsistent Red Devils frontline since joining Erik ten Hag's side. Marcus Rashford and Antony have underperformed and Jadon Sancho has been cast out of United's first team.
The Denmark international has been making runs into dangerous positions but hasn't been found by his wingers. He did have joy in his side's 4-3 defeat to FC Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday (November 8), bagging a brace.