Cristiano Ronaldo has had ‘superhuman’ career – but he must adapt at Man Utd

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    Cristiano Ronaldo can still cause Premier League defenders nightmares, says ex-Everton and Manchester City defender Richard Dunne.

    The Portuguese superstar, 37, completed a high-profile return to Old Trafford in the 2021 summer transfer window. But despite notching 24 goals in all competitions last term, the veteran forward has found himself on the periphery of Erik ten Hag's new-look squad.

    Ronaldo has started just one Premier League game this term and was an unused substitute in Sunday's 6-3 defeat to City. Dunne, who made over 600 professional appearances, reckons Ronaldo must adapt to his new reality.

    READ MORE:Arjen Robben turned down Man Utd transfer because he 'didn't like the smell'

    "He's almost been superhuman throughout his career," he said. "And you're trying to tell someone who is used to scoring hat-tricks and ridiculous goals 'you're a 10 or 15-minute man now'. I don't even know if Ronaldo is that.

    "For him, he wants to come on and make an impact. We've seen that when he comes on he wants to shoot all the time.

    HAVE YOUR SAY! Should Ronaldo leave Man Utd? Let us know in the comments section.

    "He almost needs to avoid being involved in the build-up. Just stay in that penalty area and allow other players to do the running and the movement."

    United finished sixth in the Premier League last term. However, Ronaldo was still voted in the Premier League Team of the Year and managed 18 top-flight goals.

    He snubbed a move to Saudi Arabia this summer, despite being offered a reported £210 million to make the switch. Dunne insists the 37-year-old can keep performing at the highest level.

    "If you're a centre-half and you've got Ronaldo, you still can't even give him a yard," he added. "You're occupied all the time and you're looking for help all the time.

    "He doesn't need to be moving around, because you've already got other players doing that. He just needs to be a little bit more accepting of where he is."

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