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Gary Neville hits back at Ronaldo
First, it was Cristiano Ronaldo up against Jamie Carragher after the former snubbed the latter following the ex-Liverpool defender’s tough criticism of the Manchester United legend and got snubbed by the 37-year-old.
Now, it is the Portuguese up against his former Man United teammate Gary Neville after the five-time Ballon d’Or winner ignored the ex-Red Devils captain at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The 47-year-old former England international was on punditry duty alongside Jamie Redknapp and Louis Saha for United’s Premier League clash with West Ham.
Emerging from the tunnel, Ronaldo made his way over to the Sky Sports team and embraced old teammate Saha before also greeting Redknapp. Neville was left hanging, however, noting: ‘That’s me off the Christmas card list.’
It comes after Neville was critical of Ronaldo’s conduct when the 37-year-old stormed down the tunnel before the full-time whistle in the win over Tottenham earlier this month. The Portuguese was briefly exiled from the squad, missing last weekend’s draw at Chelsea but was recalled to the fold for the visit of David Moyes’ side.
Former Manchester City defender and fellow Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards caught up with Neville after the game, with former United captain Roy Keane in tow.
In the impromptu exchange, Richards asked Neville: ‘How does it feel to be blanked, by your mate?’ Laughing off the question, Neville said: ‘It just tells us something though. He is watching, he has watched…’
Asked if he thinks Ronaldo’s actions were ‘a bit petty’, Neville responded: ‘I think if I had 570million followers on Instagram I wouldn’t be arsed about Gary Neville.’
Richards then added: ‘But he is your ex-teammate’, with Neville replying: ‘He don’t behave like someone who has played with me. Or him [Keane] for that matter.’
Keane, who largely backed Ronaldo during the controversy and throughout the season, shrugged off the comments.
Following the win over Tottenham, United’s best performance of the season, Neville condemned Ronaldo’s behaviour and suggested the club would be best served cutting ties with the veteran.
‘That’s the second time Cristiano Ronaldo has left Old Trafford in his car before his teammates have got into the dressing room and I have to say from the point of view of a football dressing room and that’s unacceptable,’ Neville said.
‘When you look at whether Cristiano Ronaldo should be selected which is obviously Cristiano Ronaldo’s main problem at this moment in time, he’s not playing.
‘As great a player as he’s been, Manchester United are a better team without him and Erik ten Hag knows that.’
On how United should deal with Ronaldo going forward, Neville added: ‘The only thing the club and Cristiano can do is get together in the next week or so is end the relationship.
‘I think Cristiano is too good a player, too fantastic a character and the club have got to move on.’