Cristiano Ronaldo aims brutal dig at Kylian Mbappe after being asked about his Real Madrid career so far

Cristiano Ronaldo aimed a dig at Kylian Mbappe when discussing how he has adapted to life at Real Madrid this season.

Mbappe followed in the footsteps of his idol Ronaldo by signing for Los Blancos on a free transfer after running down his contract with Paris Saint-Germain.

He took the No.9 which Ronaldo first wore at the Santiago Bernabeu when he signed for a world-record £80 million fee from Manchester United in 2008.

Mbappe has scored 22 goals in 34 games in all competitions for Real but has been criticised for struggling to adapt earlier on in the season when Real Madrid were not in full flow.

Many had claimed that Mbappe's arrival at Real disrupted the cohesive balance of Carlo Ancelotti's side after they won the Champions League playing without a recognised striker.

In a new interview with Spanish TV El Chiringuito, which will be released on Monday, Ronaldo leapt to Mbappe's defence and urged supporters to get behind him.

"Look after the lad," Ronaldo said.

"The fans need to look after him. "He's very good. The club have to help to protect him, I have no doubt he'll bring a lot of joy to Madrid fans.

"I love [Mbappé], not just because of his story as a kid, how he loved Cristiano, I was his idol. I think he's a top player."

Cristiano Ronaldo has spoken about Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid. Image: Getty

Mbappe's preferred position is on the left side but Real already have Vinicius Jr for that role, meaning Mbappe has primarily led the line as a centre forward.

Ronaldo was a wide player when he arrived at Real but soon transformed into a striker. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner doesn't believe Mbappe has the knowledge of how to play the position and says if he was at Real, he would have taught him to understand it.

He added: "It's complicated, because he doesn't know how to play as a forward in my opinion - or rather, it's not that he doesn't know, but it isn't his position," Ronaldo said.

"If I was at Madrid, I'd show him how to play as a number nine.

"I wasn't a forward. I got used to it, but I was a winger. People forget that. I was a forward, but not a typical forward. I think [Mbappé] shouldn't be a typical forward, he should do things his way."

Real suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Espanyol at the weekend, which means they are just one point clear of rivals Atletico.

They will look to bounce back on Wednesday when they face Leganes in the Copa del Rey.