Former Premier League star heaps praise on Cristiano Ronaldo's impact at Al Nassr 

Former Wigan Athletic goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi has claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo's relentless desire to score goals is reflected in Al-Nassr's players too.

The Portugal captain was on target once again on Friday as the Knights of Najd beat Al-Ettifaq 3-1 in the Saudi Pro League.

Alex Telles broke the deadlock in the 43rd minute and Marcelo Brozovic then made it 2-0 just before the hour mark. A while later, Ronaldo converted a penalty to secure all three points. It was his 21st goal in all competitions this season, including a 17th in the league, more than any player right now.

Al Habsi, who played in the Premier League with Bolton Wanderers and Wigan, talked about Ronaldo's impact on his current side.

He said (via Al Nassr Zone on X):

“Cristiano's constant desire to score goals was reflected in the Al Nassr players.”

This was the third consecutive game where Al-Nassr has scored at least thrice: They beat Al-Riyadh 4-1 in the league a few weeks ago, before seeing off Al-Shabab 5-2 in the King Cup of Champions.

Luís Castro's side are second in the league table with 40 points from 17 games, 10 off leaders Al-Hilal, but with a game in hand.

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Cristiano Ronaldo, almost 39, continues to fire goals left, right and centre

Father Time appeared to have caught up with Cristiano Ronaldo last year when his form declined in the second half of 2022. However, fast forward 12 months, and he's back among the goals. Plenty of 'em, even.

Sure, the Saudi Pro League isn't the most competitive in the world, but for a 38-year-old to have scored 21 goals midway through a campaign is rather extraordinary.

In February, the Portuguese legend turns a year older, but his hunger for more success on the field remains as high as ever. This holds Al-Nassr in good stead as they aim to track down Al-Hilal at the top of the Saudi Pro League.