"Make the most of playing next to Cristiano Ronaldo" - Former Al-Hilal player sends message to Al-Nassr attacker Abdulrahman Ghareeb
Former Al-Hilal midfielder Tarik El Taib has advised Al-Nassr attacker Abdulrahman Ghareeb to take full advantage of the opportunity to play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.
Al-Nassr scored a massive coup when they convinced Ronaldo to join them after his exit from Manchester United in November 2022. Although they had to make him the highest-paid player in the world, the transfer was viewed as a massive feat for Saudi Arabia as a whole.
There is a feeling that the Portuguese icon's transfer to Al-Aalami will convince more high-profile players to join the Saudi Pro League. Meanwhile, many expect his presence to raise the standards of the players already at Mrsool Park.
Ghareeb is undoubtedly among the players who have benefited from training and playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. He has scored and assisted two goals each in the league since the forward's arrival and even combined directly with him on two occasions.
The winger has now been told to make the most of the chance to play alongside the five-time Ballon d'Or winner by Taib. The former Al-Hilal player also advised Ghareeb to be patient in a face-to-face meeting, saying [via GOAL Arabic]:
"You have the potential. Make the most of playing next to Cristiano Ronaldo, and do not rush to participate with the Saudi national team. Salem Al-Dawsari took years to establish his footing in the last five years."
Ghareeb has notably made 14 appearances for the Saudi Arabia national team so far. However, he was not a part of their squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Taib is positive that the 25-year-old will get plenty of chances to prove himself at the international level if he is patient. His willingness to offer advice to Ghareeb despite his Al-Hilal ties was notably appreciated by Al-Nassr fans on social media.
How has Cristiano Ronaldo fared for Al-Nassr?
Cristiano Ronaldo was hopeful of securing a move to a European club after leaving Manchester United. However, he eventually chose to join Al-Nassr after finding such offers hard to come by.
The 38-year-old's debut for Rudi Garcia's side was delayed as he had to serve a ban for smashing an Everton fan's phone in April 2022. He opened his account for the club in his third competitive appearance for them.
Ronaldo has since bagged nine goals and two assists from 10 games across all competitions. He will hope to lead Al-Aalami to Saudi Pro League glory come the end of the season.