"He showed an interest in communication and he started first" – Manchester United man recalls 'pleasant' first interaction with Cristiano Ronaldo

Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, who is currently on a season-long loan at Manchester United, has opened up about his initial interaction with Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

Dubravka, 33, left Newcastle United to join Manchester United on the deadline day of the summer transfer window after losing his first-team spot to Nick Pope, who arrived from Burnley.

He featured in 130 matches during his four-and-a-half-year spell at St James' Park, conceding 175 goals and registering 37 clean sheets in the process.

Ronaldo, on the other hand, has been reduced to appearances off the bench under new head coach Erik Ten Hag. Earlier this summer, the veteran striker failed to engineer a move away from Old Trafford in order to pursue Champions League action at another club.

Speaking to SPORT.sk, Dubravka claimed that Ronaldo welcomed him warmly during his first weeks at his new club. He said:

"I've probably had the most communication with him all day, apart from Scott McTominay and Tom Heaton, who are right next to me in the dressing room, of course. We had the opportunity to talk to each other before training and then after training in the gym."

He continued:

"He asked me about my family, whether I was staying in a hotel now and the usual things. He showed an interest in communication and he started first. I didn't want to look like a fan and go straight to him, but it was very pleasant to talk to him about anything.''

He added:

"I'm really excited to be in the dressing room with such stars. I have to say that they nicely surprised me personally, because they welcomed me in the team in a very friendly manner.

"It's a big positive for me that such big stars can still keep their faces and behave absolutely normally, like any other ordinary person."

An experienced shot-stopper with 30 international caps for Slovakia, Dubravka is expected to provide competition to David de Gea.

Manchester United will next take on city rivals Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League on Sunday, October 2.

Cristiano Ronaldo given new nickname by new Manchester United player

Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly been given a new nickname by his Manchester United teammate Lisandro Martinez as the friendship between the pair continues to blossom behind the scenes.

Ronaldo, 37, celebrated the club's recent 2-0 win over Sheriff Tiraspol in the UEFA Europa League with a post on Instagram. Martinez commented, "El Bicho" on it. The phrase means "The Bug" in English.

The Portuguese star has netted just once in eight appearances so far this season.