“Not missing anything back in England” – Rio Ferdinand explains what Cristiano Ronaldo told him about life in Saudi Arabia
Rio Ferdinand revealed what Cristiano Ronaldo told him about life in Saudi Arabia. The two former teammates met up in Riyadh as they both attended the mega-crossover fight between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou on October 28.
Ronaldo joined Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr as a free agent in December 2022, after his second Manchester United spell came to a tumultuous end. He fell out with Erik ten Hag and an explosive interview with Piers Morgan ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup served as the final nail in the coffin.
The Portuguese criticized United's owners and Ten Hag, which resulted in his contract with the club being mutually terminated. Ronaldo has since moved to Al-Nassr and has found his form back.
Speaking about the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's life in Saudi Arabia, Ferdinand said in the recent episode of FIVE:
“He told me his family is happy, is being taken care of, enjoying life out there and not missing anything back in England or however it was before. He's playing football, he's scoring goals. You see him on the pitch he's happy.”
Cristiano Ronaldo has been in brilliant form for Al-Nassr this season. The Portugal captain has scored 14 goals and has provided eight assists in 14 appearances for Al-Nassr across competitions.
Apart from his on-field success, Ronaldo has also been serving as a sporting ambassador for the Middle Eastern country.
Piers Morgan launched a scathing attack on Erik ten Hag using a Cristiano Ronaldo point
While Cristiano Ronaldo has been firing on all cylinders this season, his former club Manchester United haven't flourished under Ten Hag this term. The Red Devils are eighth in the Premier League table with 15 points from 10 games.
Manchester United lost their most recent league game 3-0 against rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford. Following the game, British broadcaster Piers Morgan criticized Ten Hag, writing on Twitter:
"As Manchester United get humiliated by City at home, a reminder that Erik ten Hag drove @Cristiano out of the club and said he’d lose no sleep over it…And, the same @Cristiano has since scored 43 goals for club and country this year. The guy’s a total fraud."
Cristiano Ronaldo was used as a squad player by Ten Hag after the Dutch manager took over at Manchester United last season. It eventually resulted in the Portuguese leaving the club.
Morgan, a well-known ally and fan of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, rarely misses on the opportunity to take a shot at Ten Hag.