Legendary striker Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 700th club career goal after coming on as a substitute for Manchester United against Everton in their Premier League clash at Goodison Park on Sunday. Following this feat, the Portuguese icon sent a message to fans and teammates.
Legendary striker Cristiano Ronaldo will be a proud and relieved man. Last weekend, the Manchester United legend cut a frustrating image as he watched his teammates get thrashed by Manchester City from the dugout. Sitting just one striker away from his 700th club career goal, the 37-year-old could only be a mute spectator and forced angry fans to question manager Erik ten Hag's bizarre tactics to bench one of the greatest footballers of all time. Three days later, the Dutchman started with the Portuguese talisman during the Red Devils' 3-2 win over Omonia in their Europa League clash. Ronaldo struggled to find the net. However, on Sunday, CR7 cemented his place in the history books again as he netted his 700th club career goal against Everton at Goodison Park.
It was Ronaldo's 144th goal in Manchester United's red jersey throughout two stints at the club. In an illustrious career, the Portuguese forward scored 450 goals for Real Madrid, 101 for Juventus, and five for Sporting Lisbon. On Sunday, Ronaldo came as a substitute for an injured Anthony Martial early in the Premier League clash while the scores were level 1-1. In the 44th minute of the game, the five-time Ballon d'Or latched onto a through-ball from Casemiro and slotted a finish under Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. Ultimately it was also the match-winner for the Red Devils, who went on to win by a margin of 2-1.
Also read: EPL 2022-23: Ten Hag, Fernandes pay tribute to Ronaldo after his 700th club goal
Ronaldo took to Instagram to applaud the team's performance following this win at Goodison Park. "Great win guys! Another step in the right direction! 🙏🏽 #WeStandUnited" wrote the Portuguese talisman in the post. Several fans reacted to the 37-year-old's post, with most users celebrating the legendary striker's 700th goal in his club career. 'CR700' has become a trend across social media platforms, and several fans believe the iconic footballer will score more goals in the coming weeks.
Ronaldo also dedicated his 700th goal to Manchester United fans. "This is for you #Unitedfans," wrote the iconic striker in his Instagram story as he shared photographs of the moment on the social media platform. The question, however, arises is if the Portuguese superstar will now get a chance to feature in United's starting XI for their next Premier League clash against Newcastle at Old Trafford.
Hinting at the possibility of Ronaldo being made a regular feature in the team's starting XI, Red Devils' boss Erik ten Hag stated he expects to see plenty more goals from the Portugal talisman. "That is really impressive," the Dutchman said about the 37-year-old's 700 club goals feat. "When you score 700 goals, it's a huge performance. I'm really happy for him, I congratulate him on that performance and I'm also happy it's his first goal this season in the Premier League – he had to wait for it and I'm sure there will be more goals."
"I think every player needs it, even when you are the best in the world, you need it. You need the goals. I worked with many goal-scorers, especially them. They need goals in every season to have that feeling, to have the confirmation of the intuition. Once they have some goals, they come in the flow, and games go easier and that will happen with him as well," the United boss added. Will this milestone fire Ronaldo to score more goals this season? All eyes will be on the Dutchman to see if he follows through on his words on the Portuguese icon.