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Former Premier League winger Demarai Gray has recalled the time he faced his idol, Cristiano Ronaldo. The 28-year-old also highlighted the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's impact in the Saudi Pro League.
Gray claimed that it was none other than Ronaldo who started the Saudi Pro League revolution and made it relevant at the global level. The winger, who won the Premier League with Leicester City in 2015-16, highlighted what he means for the Al-Nassr fans. Gray said, as quoted by FourFourTwo:
"Everyone’s here to see him. He opened the door for the Saudi League – opened players’ eyes. Every time he receives the ball [the Al Nassr fans are] excited. One game was a bit flat, so he waved his arms around to get the fans pumped and the ground went berserk. It was crazy, but Ronaldo is Ronaldo."
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Gray also recalled the time he faced Cristiano Ronaldo in the Premier League while the five-time Ballon d'Or winner was at Manchester United. He hailed the passion the Portugal international had for the game even at the age of 39 and after achieving so much. Gray added:
"He was my football hero growing up and I played against him at Manchester United: he did my head in, complaining too much, but he’s passionate. At 39, he’s fit and still at the top of his game."
Cristiano Ronaldo remains a force to reckon with even at the age of 39 and has been the best player in the Saudi Pro League by some distance. The Real Madrid legend contributed 44 goals and 13 assists in 45 games across competitions for Al-Nassr last season.
Former Premier League star claims Cristiano Ronaldo is accurate in ranking Saudi League above Ligue 1
Former Leicester City and Everton winger Demarai Gray backed Cristiano Ronaldo's statement that the Saudi Pro League was tougher than Ligue 1. The 28-year-old plies his trade for Steven Gerrard's Al-Ettifaq, and has insisted that the Saudi League is much tougher than people think.
Gray revealed that the weather conditions in Saudi Arabia make footballers' lives extremely difficult. He told FourFourTwo:
"Moving was a big change. The heat in September had me thinking, ‘If it’s like this all year round, I don’t know how long I’ve got left because my tank is empty!’ At first, it was difficult to adapt to the crowds. Sometimes you’ll see games with low attendances, but people who moan don’t understand that if we play on a Sunday, it’s their Monday: a working day."
The Premier League winner with Leicester City added:
"Also, you might think the standard would be really easy for somebody coming from the Premier League, but it’s not as simple as you think. Cristiano Ronaldo said he ranks it higher than Ligue 1, and he could well be right."
The Saudi Pro League is currently filled with top players from across the planet such as Cristiano Ronaldo, N'Golo Kante, Neymar, Karim Benzema and many more.
