"Player with a unique experience" - Portugal coach Roberto Martinez backs Cristiano Ronaldo to have massive impact on and off the pitch

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez has hailed his team's captain Cristiano Ronaldo in a new interview.

The Spaniard took the reins of the Portugal national team earlier this year and saw his tenure get off to a fantastic start, overseeing a 4-0 and 6-0 win over Liechtenstein and Luxembourg in their opening two Euro 2024 qualifiers last month.

Ronaldo alone contributed four of those goals as he netted twice each in both games to extend his international tally to 122, while also becoming the most capped player in international football with 198 appearances.

Martinez reiterated that the Al-Nassr star remains an important figure in the Portuguese dressing room as his wealth of experience is valuable to the team.

Speaking to Antena 1, the 49-year-old said (via Record):

"He is a very important player and person in the dressing room. He plays in a decisive position, a striker who can make the difference. He is a player with a unique experience."

"There is no other player in world football with 198 caps and that is something very valuable for us. I don't think a player with that experience needs a technical decision, a coach or a person. It's a football decision, which has to do with performance."

Reflecting on Cristiano Ronaldo's impact in their March games, Martinez further added:

"I think Cristiano played a very positive and important role in the games we played in March and it's important to continue with that attitude on a daily basis."

Martinez succeeded Fernando Santos, who left his position as Portugal's manager following their disappointing 2022 FIFA World Cup exit. The Spaniard himself vacated his role as Belgium's coach after the nation's group stage exit in Qatar.

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Cristiano Ronaldo looking to reach Euro 2024 with Portugal

With a poor World Cup campaign behind him, Cristiano Ronaldo revived his international career with back-to-back braces in the Euro qualifiers last month.

Even at 38, he remains an important figure in the team for Portugal and looks like he's determined to play in next year's showpiece in Germany.

He'd be 39 by then, and by all means, it could be his final major tournament with his national team. The showpiece will also be Martinez's first real test as Portugal manager and how far the side reaches will determine his future with the side.

Portugal are favorites to qualify directly for Euro 2024 from Group J, which consists of Slovakia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.