Former defender Gary Neville said that Cristiano Ronaldo “does not accept being below anyone” and that is the reason he cannot become the “leader” that MU needs.

The Portuguese superstar returned to Old Trafford in the summer of 2021 after leaving in 2009. In December 2022, his contract was terminated by MU and joined Al Nassr.

During Ronaldo’s second time playing for MU, Neville often criticized his former teammate. And even though CR7 has left, Neville still has comments about him.

In a recent conversation with Marca, Neville said: “I think Ronaldo did very well in terms of scoring goals. But he does not accept that he is below anyone. That’s why he can’t become a leader at Man United.”

“Ronaldo often criticizes his teammates, even during matches. This sometimes becomes a negative thing for the team. Ronaldo always wants to win, desires to score goals and wants to become the best player in the world. But sometimes he has to accept the fact that his prime is over.”

Ronaldo scored 24 goals in his first season back at Man United, but only started four matches in the 2022/23 season before being forced to leave after a controversial interview with Piers Morgan.

Neville is still an avid CR7 fan and believes he could still be in Manchester if he thought differently. The former Red Devils defender added: “I love Cristiano, maybe he doesn’t love me because of what I say, but I’d like to think that in 5-10 years he will understand that my comments are intentional. Good”.

“I want him to understand that when you are 36 years old, the younger players in the dressing room and the less talented players will want to rely on you. There are many different ways to be a mentor, a coach and a guide. He is still my favorite player of all time.”