Cristiano Ronaldo’s actions in tunnel spotted as hat-trick saves Man Utd

Manchester United were credited with Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat-trick on Saturday, but the striker’s actions before kick-off underscored his influence at Old Trafford

Cristiano Ronaldo’s leadership skills showed again before he led Manchester United to another win.

The Portuguese star scored a hat-trick, including a 76th-minute winner the Red Devils cut off Norwich City to boost their four greatest hopes. ronaldo returned to Manchester in the summer for a second spell after more than a decade, but has divided opinions.

One thing that was clear, however, is his winning mentality and his drive to push standards. United have been trophyless since 2017, while Ronaldo has claimed a multitude of honors during that time. His actions before kick-off underscore his personality.

Ronaldo is often the last to exit the tunnel next to the Stretford End. However, when his teammates were lined up, he walked from back to front and addressed all of his teammates. He stopped to have lengthy chats with David de Gea, who walked out behind skipper Harry Maguire.

He has also been in dialogue with Jesse Lingard and Anthony Elanga. The former has been used sparingly while Elanga is still in the infancy of his career and is trying to make Ronaldo an excellent player to learn from.

Ronaldo scored twice in the first half at Old Trafford, with Elanga scoring the first. The Canaries then equalized before the five-time Ballon d’Or winner struck home his crucial third goal – and that of his team. Interim boss Ralf Rangnick said: “Yes, that’s it [remarkable]. The second and third goals in particular were brilliant goals. [He showed] a lot of physicality in the header and he was the difference maker today, like against Tottenham.

Will Ronaldo still play at ManU next season? Let us know in the comments

The United No. 7 has now scored 21 goals in all competitions and recently netted a hat-trick against their top four rivals Tottenham. However, his team-mates have been warned they cannot always count on the Portugal striker to deliver the goods.

Ronaldo’s return didn’t see him take the armband at Old Trafford. Maguire remains captain of the side which has led to reported issues internally. The centre-back has struggled for form this season which has only added to the limelight already aimed at him. Maguire was put in charge early in his United career, which has been criticized by some.

The Red Devils skipper continued to react Twitter on reports of rioting: “I have seen many reports about this club that are not true and this is another.” Rangnick himself previously said: “This is absolute nonsense. I’ve never spoken to a player about a possible change of captaincy. Harry is fully aware of this, as is Cristiano and all the other players.”