"That's what Roy Keane did with us" - Gary Neville offers advice on what Cristiano Ronaldo must do instead of forcing Manchester United transfer

Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville has advised Cristiano Ronaldo to help the Red Devils' dressing room, stand by the players and uplift their spirits. The fact that the Portugal international's heart is no longer at Old Trafford due to the lack of Champions League football this season is no mystery to anyone.

He has been trying to find a gateway to exit the club, but at 37 years of age, there is a scarcity of suitors in Europe, with no big club looking to take him onboard. However, former United defender and Sky Sports pundit Neville is disappointed with Cristiano Ronaldo for having thrown the towel.

He understands that the striker wants to end his career on a high and does not blame him for that. However, he believes Cristiano Ronaldo is the only one in the United dressing room with a character strong enough to lead them in this dire situation.

Neville featured on the YouTube channel, The Diary of a CEO and said:

“That's where I'm a little bit critical of Cristiano, you're the man, you're the star, you're the best player in the world. Come on, now is not the time for you to be throwing your arms around, now is not the time to be walking off the pitch, now is the time to make sure you lead those people, but he wants to leave, he wants to go and play somewhere else and who could blame him, he wants to finish his career at a club that's achieving great things."

"I think Ronaldo's the only player in that dressing room that could lead them, the only one that's got the inbuilt resilience and mental strength to get through a moment like this. It won't be touching him this, other than the personal frustration level that he's playing in a team that's not giving him the chances, the goals, the success he wants."

With the kind of career the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has had, the former Red Devils captain believes the criticism would hardly bother Cristiano Ronaldo. Neville has advised the Portuguese ace to lead the pack and protect them the way the likes of Roy Keane, Peter Schmeichel and Eric Cantona did.

He added:

“But in terms of criticism it won't be touching him, he's played at Real Madrid, at Manchester United, he's won 5-6 Champions Leagues, he's won Ballon d'Or's, you can't touch him with criticism or words. It's impossible, so he can withstand all that pressure and protect all those players on the pitch, that's what Roy Keane did with us, Peter Schmeichel, what Cantona did, what Robson did, they protected us.

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Former United forward understands Cristiano Ronaldo's desire to leave

Former Red Devils forward and Portugal international Nani has defended his compatriot for wanting to leave Old Trafford.

Speaking on former United defender Rio Ferdinand's Vibe with Five podcast, Nani suggested Cristiano Ronaldo does not have time to be part of a rebuilding project given his age. The Portuguese icon will turn 38 next year and is arguably in the twilight of his glorious career.

The former United player said:

“For Cristiano, he doesn’t have time to lose on building teams or waiting for the next season. He wants to continue to be at the top, scoring goals, being the man. That’s why the reaction is normal, we all have the wrong reactions sometimes.”

United are yet to win a single fixture in the 2022-23 Premier League campaign, having lost both their games to Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford, respectively. They will next host Liverpool on August 22.