'He is a giant': Erik ten Hag reveals Ronaldo will be key to Man United's revival

Manchester United's disastrous season has overshadowed Ronaldo's individual brilliance as the striker netted 18 Premier League goals.

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New Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has finally broken his silence over legendary striker Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Old Trafford, even as the Dutchman gears up to revamp the Red Devils after a disastrous season.

Ronaldo, who has scored 18 Premier League goals this season, is United's only regulation striker, with Edinson Cavani out of contract this summer. Although there's no secret that the former Ajax boss will be on the lookout for reinforcements, Ten Hag appears to have significant plans for the Portuguese superstar.

Despite having a standout season for United, questions were raised if the 37-year-old would stay at Old Trafford after the Red Devils missed out on next year's Champions League qualification.

However, Ten Hag appears to have cleared the air of speculation around the legendary striker. After Ajax's final game of the season, Ten Hag mentioned his plans for Ronaldo. He said, "From tomorrow, my focus will be on United, and I will, of course, get deep into things there."

"What I have to say about it is, the detailed analysis still has to begin, I still have to work with the team, but let me be clear that at United, there are a lot of good players around. We have to make them function as a team but definitely Ronaldo. He is a giant," the Dutchman added.

Ten Hag's comments come two days after the Portugal international backed the new boss and stated that fans need to give him time to prove his worth. "What I know about him is he did a fantastic job for Ajax, that he's an experienced coach. But we need to give him time. Things need to change the way he wants," Ronaldo said.

"I hope we have success, of course, because, if you have success, all of Manchester is going to have success as well. I wish him the best. We are happy and excited, not only as players but the supporters as well. I wish him the best and let's believe that, next year, we are going to win trophies," the star striker added.