West Ham Legend Claims He WOULD Have 'Booted The S**t Out' Of Cristiano Ronaldo If He Were Still Playing Now

West Ham legend Julian Dicks has insisted that he would have ‘loved’ the opportunity to play against Cristiano Ronaldo and would have “booted the s**t out of him.”

Ronaldo stunned the world in the summer with his abrupt exit from Juventus to complete a blockbuster return to Manchester United.

The 36-year-old Portuguese superstar signed a two-year contract with United and will once again wear the Red Devils’ iconic No 7 shirt.

Ronaldo has been spotted in United training after he was released early from the Portugal squad following a suspension he picked up.

The United legend could make his hotly anticipated second debut for the club on 11th September against Newcastle at Old Trafford.

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• Three ways Man Utd could line up with Cristiano Ronaldo this season

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Dicks enjoyed a successful career with West Ham across two different spells and made over 150 appearances for the London club.

The 53-year-old former defender, who is the manager of Heybridge Swifts, hailed Ronaldo as an “exceptional player” and claimed he would provide United with a “massive, massive boost.”

However, Dicks suggested that he would have loved to play against the five-time Ballon d'Or winner and to have tested him in a physical battle.

“You can't look past Cristiano Ronaldo when you're talking about the signing of the summer,” he told Ladbrokes.

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“He'll bring a lot of things to Manchester United; he is who he is, he's been there before, he's an exceptional player who looks after himself.

“I personally think we'll get the same Ronaldo now as we saw 10 years or so ago. The fans absolutely love him, and I think we're all just looking forward to seeing him in the Premier League again.

“His arrival gives that whole squad a lift, from the moment he walks through the door at United there's an expectation on him to perform, and he thrives on that sort of pressure.

“He'll give the club a massive, massive boost. If I was still playing, I'd love to have gone up against a player like Ronaldo, because I'd have just booted the s**t out of him. Luckily enough, when I played, I could do that sort of thing.

“I had no chance of catching some of the quick players I went up against, but I could smash them, so that's what I'd do.”

Topics: Cristiano Ronaldo, West Ham United, Manchester United, Premier League, England, Football

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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