"It's not he who follows the records, it's the records that follow him" – Manchester United star hypes Cristiano Ronaldo after Portugal display

Manchester United and Portugal attacking midfielder Bruno Fernandes has praised Cristiano Ronaldo following his hat-trick against Luxembourg in his nation’s 2022 World Cup qualifying clash.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored thrice as Portugal emerged comfortable 5-0 winners on Tuesday. In the process, Ronaldo became the first men’s player to score 10 international hat-tricks.

Ronaldo has been in top form for both Manchester United and Portugal this season, and according to Bruno Fernandes, his compatriot’s hunger to score goals means records follow him rather than the other way around.

“The same. Hungry to break more,” Fernandes told Brazilian outlet TNT Sports (via Sport Witness).

“He once said something very interesting. He said it’s not he who follows the records, it’s the records that follow him. And I’m starting to think it’s true. Because his ability to score goals is impressive, his ability to be in the right place is impressive.

“Say what you want. Easy goals, not easy goals. There are no easy goals. You have to be there, you have to feel it, you have to have the feeling of the goal. He’s in the right place and scores it. Even being in the right place, it’s hard to score. There are those who fail, he doesn’t fail.”

Cristiano Ronaldo key to Manchester United’s title hopes this season

While Bruno Fernandes has elevated Manchester United since his arrival in January last year, Cristiano Ronaldo could also be a key player for the club this season.

The Portuguese star’s incredible output in front of goal will help Manchester United beat some of the smaller teams, who they dropped points against last season.

While a lot has been said about how Ronaldo could hinder Manchester United’s overall style of play and pressing from the front, it’s up to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to make judicious use of the Portuguese.

Despite his age, Ronaldo is one of the fittest players in the world, so if he can keep scoring the goals, Manchester United will have at least one problem taken care of.

If the club can strengthen their problematic defensive midfield area in January, they will be well and truly in the title race.