Cristiano Ronaldo in midfield? Career extension plan discussed as former Man Utd coach explains when Portuguese GOAT will retire

That is the opinion of former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen, who worked with the Portuguese icon during his first spell at Old Trafford. Meulensteen formed part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s backroom team, allowing him to play a small role in putting CR7 on the path to superstardom.

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  WHAT MEULENSTEEN SAID

  Ronaldo is now a five-time Ballon d’Or winner with a standing cemented among the all-time greats. He is still going strong at 39 on the books of Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, with Meulensteen – speaking to BoyleSports, who offer the latest Premier League odds – saying of when the end will come for one of the best to ever do it: “Cristiano Ronaldo will choose to retire when he feels he can no longer play at the very top, he is never going to drop deep and play in another position. His passion for the game and to play for his country is exemplary.

  “It’s just unbelievable really and we’ve been very fortunate over the last almost 20 years that we’ve had players of the ilk of Cristiano and Lionel Messi. They drove each other to such a high level and both have been absolutely world-class. I can only speak for Cristiano because there was a short spell in his career in which I worked with him. I think everything he’s achieved he has deserved because only himself was always the main motivator behind all his success.”

  • THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Ronaldo continues to break records and make history in the latter stages of his remarkable career, with Meulensteen adding on the relentless drive and ambition that has allowed the evergreen frontman to reach the top and stay there: “It’s true that Cristiano Ronaldo’s ego has been the key to his lasting success and that’s in a good way, he refuses to ever let his standards drop. He would never turn up to training and give anything less than his maximum effort and you can see that is still the same now at 39 years of age.

    “He’d never even sprint at 70%, he is all or nothing and has worked so hard on the pitch as well as on his brand, he has a billion followers and he can do whatever he wants next. He does everything to the best of his ability and always pushes his own standards forward.”

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    WHAT NEXT?

    Ronaldo will not be going anywhere any time soon, with there being a desire on his part to reach 1,000 career goals before calling it quits. He is into the final year of his contract at Al-Nassr, but another deal will be agreed somewhere and there has been talk of him extending a 214-cap international career through to the 2026 World Cup.