"I used to love Cristiano Ronaldo" - Arsenal player Bukayo Saka hails Al-Nassr superstar and admits that he tried to 'emulate' him

Arsenal star Bukayo Saka recently lavished praise on Cristiano Ronaldo and admitted that he used to look up to him as a kid.

The England international opened up about his upbringing and his memories of playing football as a youngster in an interview with the club. He said (as per Arsenal's official website):

"When I was younger I was always a really active kid. Outside my house there was a big green space so we could all go out there, everyone from the close, and play football. My earliest memory of playing is actually in my back garden, but when I started playing with other kids then it was in the close out the front."

Saka added, explaining how he used to try and emulate Cristiano Ronaldo:

“The older I got, the more I fell in love with football. I played a lot but watched a lot of football too. I used to love Cristiano Ronaldo. A lot of other kids my age used to love watching him as well. The different things he could do on the pitch, his skills. The way he took free kicks too, I think a lot of us used to try to emulate that.”

Saka has been in stellar form for Arsenal this season, scoring 13 goals and providing 11 assists in 36 Premier League appearances.

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo seems to be enjoying life in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Portuguese international has scored 12 goals in 13 league encounters for Al-Nassr this term.

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"We would have won" - Piers Morgan makes emphatic Arsenal claim involving Cristiano Ronaldo

Die-hard Arsenal fan and British broadcaster Piers Morgan claimed that the Gunners would have won the Premier League title this season if they signed Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Portuguese international's Manchester United contract was terminated last November after a less-than-amicable exit that saw him lash out at the club's management and hierarchy.

Morgan posted a list of five players that he insists Arsenal must sign this summer in order to win any trophies next season. A fan responded to the tweet, pointing out that Cristiano Ronaldo, a player the Englishman is an ardent supporter of, was missing from the list.

In response, Morgan tweeted:

"Mock all you like, but if we’d signed Ronaldo when he left Utd, until the end of the season - as he was keen to do btw - we would have won the League. He knows how to win major trophies, and how to score goals when it really matters."

Arsenal are currently second in the league standings, four points behind league leaders Manchester City, having played one game more than their rivals. With only two games left to go this campaign, Pep Guardiola's side look set to defend their crown.