Juventus and France midfielder Blaise Matuidi has revealed the impact that superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has had on the dressing room since his arrival in Turin.
Following his transfer from Real Madrid this summer for £90 million questions arose that, given his age, Ronaldo may struggle on his new campaign in the Serie A.
The 33-year-old has well and truly quashed those murmurings. On Tuesday we reported that he had matched a club record of scoring seven goals in ten appearances, last achieved by Welshman John Charles 61 years ago.
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His effect has not gone unnoticed by his teammates.
"We were all dead tired after the match against Manchester United and the day after," said Matuidi. "Except Cristiano."
He added: "He's been working like crazy ever since he got here. He's been at it more than anyone else and he told me he 'had to' behave like that.
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"That's why at 33, he's been an example for all of us and given us an extra stimulus. His influence isn't limited to his work during the week.
"He's also crucial over the 90 minutes. He can do things that others can't to help improve the team's game.
"Everyone feels much stronger alongside him. He's a leader in this sense," reported RMC Sport.
Juventus's move for their new star man was more than just one from an on-field talent perspective, the club is set to benefit from a whole host of new fans and shirt sales, Ronaldo is a brand after all.
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In just over a day after announcing his transfer back in July, Juventus gained 1.5 million Instagram followers, 1.1 million on Twitter and 500k on Facebook.
Ronaldo looks like his old self, banging in goals for fun with an electric work rate and while many questioned his age at the time of the move, for CR7 it appears that age is just a number.
Words by George Buksmann.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Football News, Football, Juventus, Cristiano Ronaldo