Former Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre hopes Cristiano Ronaldo stays at Old Trafford – and insists that the Portugal captain can still deliver.
Following the Red Devils’ poor 2021-22 campaign – finishing sixth and missing out on Champions League football – Ronaldo reportedly wishes to depart for a side playing in Europe’s top club competition.
However, Silvestre feels the 37-year-old can be a key figure for new boss Erik ten Hag this term.
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Ronaldo Can Still Deliver
Speaking exclusively to Lord Ping, he said: “It would be best if Cristiano stays [at United] as he’s an important figure in the dressing room.
“He showed he can deliver and score goals and he’s still top class.
“Cristiano in a good mood and in good form is a big asset for United, and he will be for the new manager.”
Have Patience With Maguire
Silvestre has also called for patience with United skipper Harry Maguire after a difficult campaign for the Englishman – and believes the club’s other senior players need to take on additional leadership responsibility.
“At this moment, there’s not a lot of players who are distinguished and who could be captain straight away,” he said.
“It’s easy to have continuity with Harry as he’s respected in the dressing room.
“We need to give him time to get back to his best so it’s the right call at the moment from the manager.
“What United have is many players who are leaders – Cristiano, Bruno [Fernandes], [Raphael] Varane or David [de Gea] could all be captains.
“You have all these experienced guys who have to take responsibility.”
Sancho Backing
Ten Hag’s tenure as United boss started with a comprehensive 4-0 pre-season victory over Liverpool in Thailand.
Jadon Sancho netted the opener in that game and Silvestre is optimistic about the Englishman’s chances of enjoying a strong campaign next season.
“It’s always good [for the team] to start on a positive note,” he said. “It shows that players applied themselves and are trying to apply what has been done in the first couple of weeks.
“It’s good because it’s in front of fans who don’t get to see them a lot and being able to deliver a good victory is always positive.
“He [Sancho] is picking up where he left [off] last season – where there was already progress.
“He will show that he’s worth all the expectation, so I’m quite positive about his momentum and his season if he keeps fit.”
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