"As soon as I met him, my life in football changed completely" – Manchester United star opens up on Cristiano Ronaldo impact on his career

Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot has opened up on how Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo helped him grow as a footballer in the past.

During an interview with ex-Manchester United star Owen Hargreaves for the Premier League Masterclass series, Dalot was asked to opine on having Ronaldo as a teammate. He replied (h/t United In Focus):

"I have said this a couple of times... as soon as I met him, my life in football changed completely. Because I saw something. I already considered myself, before I met him, a good professional. But he pushed me to another level."

Dalot, 25, shared the same dressing room with Ronaldo for close to 16 months at Manchester United. He played alongside the Al-Nassr star 39 times at his current club before the veteran left in January 2023.

On the other hand, Dalot has shared the pitch with the former Real Madrid attacker 22 times while representing Portugal's men's national team.

Unai Emery offers thoughts on Aston Villa ace potentially teaming up with Cristiano Ronaldo

As per Sky Sports, Aston Villa star Jhon Duran has completed a medical at Al-Nassr ahead of a £64 million transfer to Cristiano Ronaldo's outfit.

Asked about Duran, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery replied (h/t ESPN):

"I don't know exactly until everything is done if [he] is leaving or not. If he leaves, it's good news for us, because they are paying good money, because it's good for him, because as well, we have developed a young player in two years to get this offer. It's not only for the club, but it's for the players and the team... these circumstances can be positive. I don't know if he's leaving or not."

When asked if Duran had personally asked to leave, Emery responded:

"If he's leaving, it's because he wants to. I told you last week that I wanted him here. But what does he want? We are all different people. My opinion about him... he's a fantastic player [with] fantastic potential. I was close with him, trying to work with him in his development. [The players] have their goals, ambitions and if he's leaving, it's because he wants to go another way in his career."

Duran, 21, has established himself as a vital squad member at Aston Villa since arriving from Chicago Fire in a potential £18 million switch in January 2023. He has scored 20 goals in 2272 minutes of action for the Premier League side, spread across 78 games across competitions.