“I watched his games at Real Madrid” - Arsenal attacker names Cristiano Ronaldo as his idol

Arsenal attacker Gabriel Martinelli has named Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo his idol. The Brazil international said that he used to watch the five-time Ballon d'Or winner in action for Real Madrid as a child.

Gabriel Martinelli has become a key player for Arsenal since his £6 million switch from Brazilian outfit Ituano in 2019. The fleet-footed winger has already made 174 appearances for the Gunners at the age of just 22, contributing 41 goals and 24 assists.

Many of the modern-day wingers these days have grown up idolizing Cristiano Ronaldo and Martinelli is one of those. He said, as quoted by Madrid Xtra:

"“My idol? I always liked Cristiano Ronaldo. As a child, I watched his games at Real Madrid."

Gabriel Martinelli is still pretty much in the early days of his career and still has plenty of room for growth. The Brazilian is often a treat to watch but his end product has a lot of room for improvement. He contributed with eight goals and five assists in 44 appearances across competitions for Arsenal last season, which could be improved.

Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, remains a goalscoring machine even at the age of 39. He plies his trade for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr and produced 44 goals and 13 assists in 46 appearances across competitions last season.

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Pundit urges Portugal to bench Cristiano Ronaldo for Euro 2024 match against Turkey

Pundit Alejandro Moreno has advised Portugal manager Roberto Martinez to bench the veteran forward against Turkey. Ronaldo wasn't at his best in Portugal's Euro 2024 opener against Czechia on June 18 as the Selecao came back from 1-0 down to win the game 2-1.

Former Venezuela striker Alejandro Moreno has insisted that Ronaldo shouldn't be given three consecutive starts at his age. He claimed that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner should be benched against Turkey in order to keep him fresh. Moreno said, as quoted by ESPN FC:

“My concern is, if you indeed think that he is the answer, the guy to play centre-forward for you, I don’t think you should play him three matches in a row in the group stage."

Moreno added:

“If you want the best out of Cristiano Ronaldo, he has to be fresh. Therefore, at some point, you’ve got to let him sit out. Why not the middle game [against Turkey]?”

Ronaldo has been a magnificent servant to Portugal over the years having scored 130 times in 208 appearances. He is the all-time top goalscorer in international football.