"It's great for me, I feel happy" - Cristiano Ronaldo reflects on Saudi Pro League season record after failing to win trophy with Al-Nassr
Cristiano Ronaldo has reflected on the records he broke this season, although he failed to win a trophy with Al-Nassr. The legendary Portuguese forward seemingly returned to the heights of his career, but could only do so much against an unbeatable Al-Hilal.
Now 39 years old, Ronaldo impressively scored 50 goals across all competitions. The last time he managed to do this was nearly a decade ago in 2016, when he was securing his status as a legend at Real Madrid.
The Portuguese legend has become the first-ever male player to win the Golden Boot across four countries in his career. The forward achieved these heights at Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and now, Al-Nassr.
He notably ended the season with 35 league goals. This also happens to be the highest in the history of the Saudi Pro League.
Cristiano Ronaldo was recently given the Saudi Pro League Golden Boot award for his goalscoring prowess, and he shared his feelings as he collected it (via GOAL):
“It means a lot. I feel very happy. It’s probably one of the best seasons I’ve ever had in my career in terms of goals but assists too. To be honest it means a lot because it’s my work. I have to be honest and say it’s not something I was looking for at the beginning of the season but over time I started to see that it was possible.
"So, I have the opportunity to say thank you to my team-mates because without the team nothing individually would have been possible – but I feel very proud to beat the Saudi league record. It’s great for me, I feel happy, and this is my motivation to play football, to train every time and to carry on like that.”
While he did the bulk of the goalscoring, it was not enough to end the season with a trophy, which saw Cristiano Ronaldo in tears after the King's Cup final against Hilal. Notably, Al-Nassr lost on penalties, and the Portuguese striker was inconsolable. However, he seems to be looking to return next season with improvements, as he added:
"I think the goals for each season is the kind of the same, it’s to do your best and win titles. If possible, to collect individual [trophies] as well but my goal is to be the same – to be the same Cristiano that you saw this season, to do my best, to achieve goals with Al-Nassr and with my Portugal national team as well. To maintain my level is what I’m looking for.”
Cristiano Ronaldo makes a push for former teammates to join him at Al-Nassr
Al-Nassr came second in the Saudi Pro League and finished the season trophyless, leading to rumors around potential recruitments. According to a report from Mirror (via Manchester Evening News), Cristiano Ronaldo has reached out to former teammate Casemiro regarding a potential transfer.
The Brazilian defensive midfielder currently plays for Manchester United, where he recently won the FA Cup. However, his performances across 25 Premier League games have left much to be desired, leading to rumors about a potential exit this summer.
Cristiano Ronaldo has also reached out to Real Madrid captain Nacho Fernandez about a possible move, with the defender set to leave the Santiago Bernabeu in due course. Nacho notably lifted the Champions League with Madrid to finish off an impressive season across the board.