“Any time I spend with him makes me feel richer” - Manchester United star says Cristiano Ronaldo is his ‘most influential’ friend in football

Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot has claimed Portugal teammate Cristiano Ronaldo to be his most influential friend in football.

The pair are gearing up to represent their country in the European Championships this summer. Previously, they've played together for the Red Devils, apart from sharing the pitch for Portugal.

In all, the duo have played 54 matches with one another for club and country combined, managing one joint goal contribution in the process.

Speaking about Ronaldo in an interview with FourFourTwo, the right-back said:

"I've actually never said this before but Cristiano is the most influential person I've ever had in football."

"I consider him a friend, yet it sounds surreal because he was my idol, my reference, for years. I first met him properly at Euro 2020 and any time I spend with him makes me feel richer in terms of knowledge. I can draw from his vast experience, talent, and wisdom," he added.

In a struggling Manchester United team, Dalot has been a standout performer. In the absence of Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia, the 25-year-old has had to fill in at left-back on numerous occasions.

This season, he has made 49 appearances across competitions for the Red Devils, bagging three goals and five assists. Meanwhile, Ronaldo has also enjoyed a successful goalscoring campaign for his Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr.

The Real Madrid legend made 42 appearances across competitions this year for the Riyadh-based side, bagging 42 goals and 13 assists.

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Cristiano Ronaldo keen on bringing Portugal teammate and Manchester United star to Al-Nassr- Reports

Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and Bruno Fernandes

Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly convincing Al-Nassr to bring Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes to Saudi Arabia (via Mirror). The former Sporting midfielder splits opinion amongst the Red Devils fan base and currently has two years left on his contract.

In a rather poor season for Erik ten Hag's team, Fernandes has maintained his high level of performance. From 47 appearances across competitions this season, the creative midfielder has scored 15 goals while assisting on 12 occasions.

Ronaldo and Fernandes are already familiar with one another, having made 100 appearances together for Manchester United and Portugal across competitions. They've recorded eight joint goal contributions from those matches.

However, it seems unlikely that Fernandes would want to end his career in Europe at the age of 29. He's yet to win the Premier League or UEFA Champions League.