Unnamed Manchester United player kept passing the ball to Cristiano Ronaldo to 'receive praise' from him: Reports

When Cristiano Ronaldo was at Manchester United, one of the players reportedly kept passing the ball to him in order to receive praise from the Portugal icon.

The report from the Athletic (h/t Football365) does not name the United player in question, but it mentions that he plays in an attacking position. An excerpt from the report reads:

"Nobody disputes that his personal preparation was anything short of exemplary. Yet it is also clear that United players first felt in awe of Ronaldo and then grew to cower a little in his presence. The authority and power base of those such as Solskjaer and Maguire ebbed away."

It added:

"At one stage, the club’s video analysts sought to find an explanation as to why an attacking United player was struggling for form and they concluded the player was spending every attack trying to pass the ball to Ronaldo in order to receive praise from the Portuguese icon."

Ronaldo sealed a return to Old Trafford after 12 years when he joined the club from Juventus in the summer of 2021. However, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner failed to find consistency in his second season at the club.

Erik ten Hag consistently left him out of important domestic games, and the lack of UEFA Champions League football only added to Ronaldo's frustrations. An explosive interview with Piers Morgan led to his unceremonious exit from Manchester United in November.

'CR7' joined Al-Nassr in January, where he is struggling to lead his team to silverware. The Riyadh-based side have been eliminated from the Saudi Super Cup and the King's Cup and trail league-leaders Al-Ittihad, who have a game in hand, by three points.

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Former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly looking to leave Saudi Arabia

Former Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo could reportedly leave Al-Nassr and return to Spain.

According to El Nacional, the Portuguese legend will not last much longer at Al-Nassr. He apparently wants to return to the city of Madrid, where he spent nine trophy-laden years before his move to Juventus in 2018.

Club president Florentino Perez has assured 'CR7' that he will have work for him at the Santiago Bernabeu. But it won't be as a player, as Perez believes Ronaldo's race has been run as a footballer — at least at a club like Real Madrid.

Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly failed to adjust to the culture in Saudi Arabia and has struggled due to the language barrier. He has had no problem finding minutes for his new club, for whom he has 11 goals in 14 games across competitions this year.