Ex-Aston Villa forward and England International, Gabriel Agbonlahor criticized Cristiano Ronaldo as he thinks the superstar should step aside and let other players play more.
This comes after Portugal's 2-1 victory over Croatia in the Nations League and with Ronaldo scoring in the 34th minute, he yet again made the headlines. He achieved the landmark of 900 goals for both club and country.
Despite this, Agbonlahor thinks that Ronaldo's failure to score during the recently concluded Euro 2024, was enough to show that it's time for him to hang up his boots. Portugal was eliminated by France on penalties in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024.
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What Gabriel have to say for Cristiano Ronaldo?
While talking to talkSPORT on their YouTube channel, the ex-Aston Villa forward said, "If you watched him in the Euros, we forget don’t we, that he didn’t do anything. He probably hindered other players being played. I think him playing that many games probably cost Portugal."
“I know people will say that’s harsh and it’s not his fault, but you know, you had your time. You’ve still got what it takes, but have you got what it takes at the highest level any more? There’s a reason why he’s playing in Saudi Arabia, there’s a reason why he got let go at Manchester United, there’s a reason why he’s not playing in Europe. I just think Portugal have got so many exciting players that were left on the bench during that Euros," Agbonlahor concluded.
Breakdown of goals Ronaldo has scored
Out of his 900 goals, 131 have been scored for Portugal. The Real Madrid legend scored 450 goals for the Spanish club. For Manchester United where he rose through the ranks, he scored 145 goals.
Representing Italian Club Juventus, he scored 101 goals. For his first club Sporting Lisbon, he scored five goals. For the Saudi Club Al Nassr which is expected to be the last club he plays football for, he has scored 68 goals.
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