Cristiano Ronaldo reaction to Jhon Duran debut goal speaks volumes after Man United admission

Former Man United hero Cristiano Ronaldo seems to be enjoying playing with new strike partner Jhon Duran

Among the delighted faces after Jhon Duran netted 22 minutes into his Al-Nassr debut was former Manchester United icon Cristiano Ronaldo.

When Ronaldo departed Old Trafford in 2022, he may not have realised the scale of the wave towards the Saudi Pro League that would cause. First, like himself, it was other footballers towards the end of their careers accepting the Gulf state's riches but now even the next generation of talent are on the move.

Before the close of the winter transfer window, Al-Nassr recruited 21-year-old Duran for a £64m fee from Aston Villa. Man United would benefit from the fallout, as it opened the door for Marcus Rashford to complete his loan exit to the Midlands club before the deadline passed.

Now Duran has had chance to make his debut for his new club, lining up in a strike duo with Ronaldo. His first was a clinical finish inside the penalty area and his Portuguese partner was the first to rush over in congratulations with a grin on his face.

As he has been criticised for in the past, there was no evidence of malice or throwing a tantrum towards a teammate as it was not he specifically who scored the goal.

The Colombian would score a second after half-time and Ronaldo grabbed a third, which held significance on two counts. For Al-Nassr, it moved them up to third in the Saudi Pro League standings and for the goalscorer himself, it was the 924th of his career and first since turning 40 on Wednesday.

To mark that occasion, he had taken part in a Spanish interview covering a wide range of topics. One of those was the explosive end to his second spell with Man United.

In an answer some choose to believe is a jab at ex-manager Erik ten Hag, who sidelined Ronaldo after taking up the manager's post two-and-a-half years ago, he said: "I learned from all my coaches. I had some really bad ones. Guys who don't have a f***ing clue about football."

The attacker is still very clearly enjoying his football based on today's images and in particular, playing in Saudi Arabia. When asked if the league is better than the MLS, where Lionel Messi now plays, Ronaldo responded: "Obviously, obviously, obviously. Only those who play here, only those who are in the league, know. You have to give it the credit it deserves."