“He can still score goals” - Ex-Premier League star explains why ‘incredible’ Cristiano Ronaldo can play until age 45 amid retirement rumors
Former Premier League player Alan Hutton has opined that Cristiano Ronaldo could continue playing the sport until the age of 45. The Portuguese superstar celebrated his 40th birthday in February but has continued to show no sign of slowing down despite his age.
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 33 goals across competitions for Al-Nassr this season. Recent reports have claimed that the 40-year-old has agreed to a two-year extension with Al-Nassr, with his current contract set to expire at the end of this season.
Ronaldo is yet to give a clear answer regarding his retirement, saying last November that he will retire once he no longer enjoys football.
Hutton, who once faced Ronaldo in the English top-flight, recently weighed in into the latter’s potential retirement from the sport. He told BoyleSports:
“Cristiano Ronaldo probably feels that he could play to 45, no problem. Where he's playing at this moment in time, it's not the highest level. I know there's some big names out there, the way he looks after himself day to day, there's no reason that he can't go and play for another few years.
“He'll feel that he can, no problem. He'll feel that he can still score goals. So I feel that he would go on for as long as possible. And rightly so. If you feel good, why shouldn't you?”
Cristiano Ronaldo took his career tally to 934 goals after scoring in Al-Nassr’s 4-1 win against Yokohama FM in the AFC Champions League. He is just 66 goals away from scoring a thousand goals.
“It's very difficult’’ – Alan Hutton reflects on playing against Cristiano Ronaldo
Speaking further, Alan Hutton recalled squaring up against Cristiano Ronaldo on the pitch and what it feels like. Both players played against each other twice. They first met in the English Premier League in the 2007/08 season. Hutton was playing for Tottenham Hotspur at the time, while Ronaldo was playing for Manchester United.
The other meeting was in LaLiga in the 2012/13 campaign. Ronaldo was at Real Madrid while Hutton was at Mallorca. Ronaldo came out on top across the two meetings (D1, W1).
Speaking about playing against Ronaldo, Hutton said:
“Playing against Cristiano Ronaldo, there's no getting away from it. It's very difficult. I mean, the size of him, especially when I first moved down, I think my first game at Tottenham was against Manchester United actually, and was against Ronaldo. But I loved that. I was young. I played with freedom myself and what an opportunity to go and test yourself against one of the best. But I think in the back of the mind, you always know that he could take you apart at any moment if you switch off.
“He had that ability to just go past you. He had pace, he had power, and goals. He could score from anywhere. I think it's one now that I've retired, I look back on it and you think, I've played against one of the best in the world. I think that that's a brilliant thing. And for him to still be playing at the age that he is, it's just testament to him and how he's looked after himself. What an incredible player.”
While Ronaldo continues to play the game, Hutton called time on his professional career in 2020.
