"If he respected his character, he would surely have to play him every time" - Patrice Evra defends Cristiano Ronaldo's decision to storm down tunnel against Tottenham

.Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has voiced his doubts about Erik ten Hag's treatment of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Following United's 6-3 drubbing at the hands of Manchester City earlier this month, Ten Hag said he kept the veteran forward on the bench out of respect for him. Ronaldo didn't play a single minute of that game, which happened for a second time during the Red Devils' 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on October 19.

However, the Portuguese superstar's reaction to being left on the bench against Spurs has evoked immense scrutiny from pundits and fans. Ronaldo walked down the tunnel prior to the full-time whistle in what appeared to be a move born out of frustration from warming the bench.

While most pundits criticized the veteran, his former teammate Evra has questioned Ten Hag's respect for the player. He said upon the end of the game (as quoted by the Daily Mail):

"I would have to start Ronaldo. One interview from Ten Hag after the game against Manchester City and why he didn’t bring him on was because he respected his character. If he respected his character, he would surely have to play him and play him every time."

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Thierry Henry and Erik Ten Hag weigh in on Cristiano Ronaldo's actions during Manchester United's win over Spurs

Evra's co-pundit Thierry Henry believes the Cristiano Ronaldo situation at Manchester United needs to be resolved quickly.

"It is not an easy one, but for the boss, he is here for the team, not Cristiano Ronaldo. Cristiano is part of the team and you need to find that solution."

The Arsenal legend continued:

"At times, he has to play without him and what’s difficult is when people talk about him, he will talk about what he has done in the game and not many people can sit on his table who have achieved what he has, but it is about what he is currently doing and what he is doing is not what he used to."

Cristiano Ronaldo's actions against Tottenham Hotspur have inevitably created headlines, with the focus moving away from Manchester United's superb win. Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag, however, seemed uninterested in discussing his forward's actions.

He said after the game when questioned about Ronaldo's decision to exit the pitch before full-time:

"I have seen him, but I didn’t speak to him. I will deal with that tomorrow, not today. We are celebrating this victory."

The Athletic's Laurie Whitwell has since reported that in addition to leaving the pitch, Ronaldo also exited Old Trafford and didn't celebrate the win with the team.