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Marcus Rashford recently shared that he received a special gift from Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018, which he keeps locked way to this day.
Rashford has hailed Ronaldo as one of his inspirations over the years. When the Portuguese ace was edging closer to leaving Real Madrid in April 2018, he met Rashford. He gifted the England international his Nike Air Max 97 CRY Red trainers, worth £145 back then (via Goal).
The Manchester United forward recently told Sneaker Shopping that he hasn't used those trainers and keeps them locked away, saying:
“No one can touch them! He was one of my favourite players growing up. I liked the shoe, I'd love to wear the shoe but if I messed them up then I don't know what I'd do to myself. So, I'm just better to keep those ones away.”
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Rashford got an opportunity to play with Cristiano Ronaldo during the latter's second spell at Manchester United after arriving from Juventus in 2021. He shared the pitch 39 times with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, combining for two goals.
Ronaldo eventually left Manchester United in November 2022 after mutual contract termination. He joined Al-Nassr and has registered 30 goals and 11 assists in 36 games for them.
Rashford, meanwhile, after a good 2022-23 campaign has struggled so far this season, scoring just one goal in 16 appearances across competitions.
Al-Fateh Sporting director hails impact of Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Saudi Arabia
Cristiano Ronaldo's decision to leave European football and move to Saudi Arabia in December last year came as a huge shock to everyone. The 38-year-old was even criticised and many expected his eventual decline.
However, not only has the global superstar been in terrific form on the pitch, his move has immensely helped Saudi Arabian football. Big players such as Karim Benzema and Neymar also made the move to the country in the summer and the league has garnered immense attention.
Al-Fateh's sporting director Nicola Innocentin recently hailed Ronaldo's move to rivals Al-Nassr, saying (via Essentially Sports):
“The arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo to the Saudi Pro League changed everything in the league in an incredible way.”
The rise of football in Saudi Arabia has also seen them win the bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
