“I knew it was him but it didn’t bother me too much” – Premier League star opens up on barge with Cristiano Ronaldo that went viral

Brentford defender Aaron Hickey's shoulder challenge on Cristiano Ronaldo at the start of the season went viral. Hickey floored the Portuguese superstar with a stern tackle as the Red Devils were defeated 4-0 at the start of the campaign.

The clip went viral on digital media. Hickey, 20, has now shared his take on the incident. The Scottish defender recently said (via The Daily Record):

"I tried to get on with the game. I knew it was him but it didn't bother me too much, I was trying to focus on the team. After it I shook his hands and tried to see if he was ok. My friends were telling me it was class, I got a few messages."

Cristiano Ronaldo has often made defenders touch grass with his extraordinary skills on the pitch. However, Hickey got one of his moments against the five-time Ballon d'Or winner. Hence, it's certainly a rarity for the player.

When will Cristiano Ronaldo return to action?

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr will play their next game on May 8 as they take on Al-Khaleej in a Saudi Pro League clash. Al-Alami won by a score of 4-0 against Al-Raed in their last game on April 28. Ronaldo scored the opener for his team in that match.

The Portuguese has already scored 12 goals and provided three assists for Al-Nassr since making his debut for the club in January. Dinko Jelicic's team were handed a boost in their quest to win the Saudi Pro League after league leaders Al-Ittihad lost their recent game.

Al-Nassr are second in the league with 56 points from 25 league matches. They trail Nuno Espirito Santo's team by three points. The Saudi Pro League is the Riyad-based team's only hope of winning a trophy this season. Whether Ronaldo can bag silverware in his first half-a-season in the Middle East remains to be seen.