"His dedication to the game is unmatched" - Manchester United loanee hails Cristiano Ronaldo as the 'GOAT'
On-loan Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho has failed the club's former attacker Cristiano Ronaldo for his dedication. The 39-year-old Al-Nassr captain spent seven and a half seasons at Old Trafford across two spells.
Meanwhile, Sancho is on loan at Borussia Dortmund - whom he joined in January this year for the rest of the season. After publicly falling out of favour with United boss Erik ten Hag at the start if the campaign, Sancho played only thrice for the club and didn't play again in the first part of the season before he moved to BvB.
Less than six months later, Sancho is into his first UEFA Champions League final. Ahead of the clash with Real Madrid on Saturday (June 1) at the Wembley in London, Sancho opened up on the GOAT debate, taking the name of Ronaldo.
“He’s the ‘GOAT’ (Greatest of All Time) – what can I say?," he said as per CNN. "He deserves it. His dedication to the game is unmatched. You know, always in the gym, always just wanting to be better."
Ronaldo is widely regarded as one of the best players to have graced the game and is still going strong, having joined Al-Nassr on a free transfer in December 2022.
How Cristiano Ronaldo fared for Manchester United
Cristiano Ronaldo has had an impressive stint at Manchester United, especially during his first spell between 2003 and 2009 since arriving from Portuguese side Sporting CP.
In 346 games across competitions, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner contributed 145 goals and 64 assists. Most of those goal contributions - 118 goals and 59 assists in 292 games - came during his first spell.
That period saw Ronaldo win his first Premier League Golden Boot, first of five Ballon d'Or titles and three straight Premier League titles. His second spell - between 2021 and 2022 - was not as prolific, as he didn't win any silverware.
Now at Al-Nassr, the former Manchester United striker is coming off a 50-goal season, including a record 35 strikes in the Saudi Pro League.