"18 goals at 37 years of age, in the best league in the world, come on!" - Dimitar Berbatov claims Cristiano Ronaldo's performance for Manchester United this season commands respect

Dimitar Berbatov believes Cristiano Ronaldo deserves more respect for his performance at Manchester United this season. The former Red Devils striker added that he is not surprised with the Portuguese scoring 18 goals in the league so far.

After a sudden turn of events, Cristiano joined Manchester United for his second stint at the end of the summer transfer window last year. The forward was looking to leave Juventus and was reportedly close to joining Manchester City before the Red Devils swooped in.

Speaking on Manchester United's official website, Berbatov called for the fans and pundits to give more respect to the Portuguese star. He said:

"To be honest, I'm not surprised. I just had the pleasure of playing one year with him, which was a short period, but I saw how he prepared himself when he was at United. And then I followed him up into his career and it's not surprising to see him play like this. I am sure if he continues taking care of himself, like he is doing now, he can play for another three or four years for sure.

"Yes, time is waiting for no-one and, with time, some of your qualities are getting less but then you need to be smart and adjust your way of playing football. You can still be good and Ronaldo is a case of this, 18 goals at 37 years of age, in the best league in the world, come on! You need to show the respect there."

Will Ronaldo be at Manchester United next season?

Cristiano Ronaldo has been Manchester United's top scorer this season, but his future at the club is still in the balance. Ralf Rangnick has refused to comment on the situation and added that it was a question for Erik ten Hag, who will be taking over as the new manager this summer.

He said:

"This is a question you need to ask Erik ten Hag. He's showed that he can still be a vital part of this team, but it's obvious the team needs some more strikers. There should be two or three new strikers next season, it's pretty obvious."

Some reports suggest the forward could leave the club, while others believe a decision is yet to be made. The Portuguese's contract with the Red Devils will have a year left after the ongoing season.