"Big respect" - Thomas Muller lauds Manchester United attacker Cristiano Ronaldo for stunning Tottenham hat-trick

Bayern Munich star Thomas Muller lauded Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo following the Portuguese's sensational showing in the 3-2 win against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

Ronaldo scored a hat-trick for the Red Devils to keep their top-four hopes alive.

It was a memorable night for the legendary Portuguese superstar. He became FIFA’s leading all-time goalscorer with a staggering 807 career goals to his name, surpassing Josef Bican.

Following his historic achievement, Bayern Munich attacker Muller heaped praise on the 37-year-old on social media.

"Big respect," the 32-year-old German international replied to Ronaldo’s Instagram post.

Manchester United desperately needed a strong response after their shambolic display against local rivals Manchester City last week. They were completely thrashed in the Manchester derby with the Cityzens clinching a 4-1 win.

The Portuguese forward missed the game with a hip flexor injury. However, he helped his side bounce back with a phenomenal individual display against Spurs.

With his hat-track, Ronaldo is now jointly second in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot this season. Liverpool duo Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota also share the position with 12 strikes each. Mohamed Salah leads the charts with 20 goals.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner now has 18 goals across all competitions to his name in 32 games. It goes without saying that Manchester United would have struggled a lot more without him.

The hat-trick against Spurs was the 59th of his career although it was only his second in Manchester United colors. His first came against Newcastle United 14 years ago.

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Can Cristiano Ronaldo lead Manchester United to a top-four finish?

Manchester United have a big summer ahead of themselves with a new manager coming in and Ralf Rangnick taking up a consultancy role.

Whether the Red Devils be in the Champions League next season or not could have a big impact on their summer proceedings at Old Trafford.

Missing out on Champions League football can be catastrophic for the club and the Portuguese will be relied upon by the club to achieve that.

Arsenal still have an advantage over Ralf Ragnick's side in the race for the top four. The Gunners sit fifth, just two points behind the Red Devils with four games in hand. But with plenty of games to be played, the Red Devils can still turn it around.