Man Utd star urged to retire: ‘I don’t want to watch Ronaldo and have pity’

Former Chelsea defender Frank Lebeouf has urged Man Utd superstar Cristiano Ronaldo to consider retirement soon.

Ronaldo has scored an impressive 15 goals in 30 matches in all competitions this season but it is a far cry from his usual high standards of almost a goal every game.

There have been reports claiming that he will consider his future at the club if Man Utd fail to qualify for the Champions League this campaign, while there have been rumours of a ‘power struggle’ between Ronaldo and Harry Maguire, which have been denied by Ralf Rangnick and the England centre-back.

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Ronaldo hit the post against Watford as Man Utd were held to a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford on Saturday with the fourth-placed Red Devils now two points ahead of fifth-placed Arsenal, having played three games more.

And former France international Lebeouf reckons Ronaldo should think about retiring following his poor recent form.

Lebeouf told ESPN: “Do you know what? I think there is a time where you have to think, ‘What do I do with my life and my career’.

“And maybe it’s time for Cristiano Ronaldo at the end of his career to wonder and have a discussion with himself, and maybe some of his family, to know what he has to do for the rest of his career, if there is a future in his career.

“I don’t want to watch Ronaldo and have pity, because he’s been on the top for so many years.

“I don’t want him to be a normal player. He’s been an exceptional player for so long.

“I’d prefer him to give up his career at the top instead of maybe trying and play for two or three more years and not being the player that he used to be.”

On the draw with Watford, Man Utd boss Rangnick commented: “It feels once again like two points dropped that we should have easily won.

“I think we did everything apart from scoring. We had in both halves enough chances to win that game. But we didn’t, and that’s why we, not for first time, dropped two important points in a very important game.

“In the first half we had four clear opportunities that normally are enough to score at least one or two goals, and in the second half it was similar.

“In the end it’s about efficiency, about being clinical in front of goal, and this is not for the first time unfortunately.

“But apart from that we were in full control of the game. They had one or two moments, but apart from that we dominated the game completely.”