“That’s likely because he’s the greatest player in the world” – Gary Neville defends Cristiano Ronaldo despite widespread criticism over Manchester United form

Gary Neville has come in support of Cristiano Ronaldo and claimed the Manchester United star is doing well despite the criticism he's been getting lately. The Red Devils legend believes it is unfair to compare the 37-year-old to his younger self.

This season, Ronaldo has made 23 appearances in the Premier League, with nine goals to his name. He also has five assists to go with them, but the fans have been demanding more from their forward.

While speaking on Overlap Live, Neville was quick to protect Ronaldo and claim that the Portuguese star is still doing an exceptional job. Commenting on the flak he has been getting, the Sky Sports pundit said:

"2005 to 2009, he was like something I've never seen – out of this world. What he's still doing now is exceptional, to be fair, at the age that he is. The goals he's scoring, the fitness levels, the games he plays. At the moment, it's not going well at United. He's getting a bit of (flak) right now, they all are. That's likely because he's the greatest player in the world."

Roy Keane, who was also on the show, added:

"The hardest part of football is scoring goals – by far. To create week in week out – this United team is not that strong but he is still a quality player. He's one of the world's greatest but he was never going to get United back winning trophies, not on his own. United needed a lot more."

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Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United this season

On his return, Cristiano Ronaldo started with a bang at Old Trafford but has not been at his best lately. While he has 15 goals in all competitions this season, the overall performance has dipped.

The Portuguese is not alone in the underperforming category at Manchester United as players around him have also failed to live up to their expectations.

However, there can be no questions raised about the former Real Madrid star's contribution in the Champions League. Ronaldo single-handedly took Manchester United into the Round of 16 with some exceptional performances in the group stages, scoring six goals in the process.