Cristiano Ronaldo is excited to work with Erik ten Hag but the Dutchman will have to pull out all the stops to be considered the best manager he has played under.
There were claims that the Portugal star wasn’t going to buy into the new manager’s project and that he could find a new club this summer. But Ronaldo has dismissed that notion by giving his seal of approval to Ten Hag’s appointment.
The feeling is clearly mutual as Mirror Football understands that Ten Hag is keen to work with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who only has one campaign left on his contract. Ronaldo has worked under some great coaches during his illustrious career so Ten Hag has some big shoes to fill. And, as it stands, Jose Mourinho is still the best manager he’s worked with, according to the man himself.
Ronaldo was arguably at his peak during his time at the Bernabeu as Mourinho’s side went toe-to-toe with Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona, one of the best sides to ever grace the game. It was claimed they had a bitter fallout as both went their separate ways but Ronaldo evidently still holds Mourinho in high regard.
Speaking back in 2018, Ronaldo named Mourinho as the best manager he’s had, saying: “I would put him at the top, I always say that. I have played for so many great coaches, but Jose Mourinho was a big thinker analytically, he went into everything in great detail.”
Asked in the same interview about a potential reunion with his compatriot, Ronaldo replied: “Work with Mourinho again? Why not?
Speaking after Ajax’s final game of the season, Ten Hag mentioned his plans for Ronaldo calling him a “giant.” He said: “From tomorrow, my focus will be on United, and I will of course get deep into things there.
“What I have to say about it is, the detailed analysis still has to begin, I still have to work with the team, but let me be clear that at United there are a lot of good players around. We have to make them function as a team but definitely Ronaldo, he is a giant.”
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