Topics: Football, Christian Eriksen, Cristiano Ronaldo, Premier League, Manchester United
Christian Eriksen joked about a time Cristiano Ronaldo “wasn’t too happy” with him at Manchester United.
Ronaldo made ripples across world football when he acrimoniously ended his second spell at Manchester United back in November.
For a short time, however, the five-time Balon d’Or winner played under Erik ten Hag alongside Eriksen.
And the latter has joked about a time he upset Ronaldo by taking a free-kick ahead of the Portugal international.
Ronaldo’s unique way of striking the ball from set pieces is notorious and has been replicated by players all over the world. It is an ability he perfected during his first spell at United and replicated at Real Madrid and Juventus.
Advert
And Eriksen, who is also a fine set-piece taker, admitted that United had a diplomatic approach to deciding who took free-kicks, with Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford also capable candidates.
The Dane also joked that Ronaldo was not happy on one occasion when Eriksen took a free kick ahead of him.
Speaking to former United midfielder Owen Hargreaves in a free-kick masterclass on the club's website, Eriksen said: "Even now at the club, we have multiple takers who if he's had a good day, he's going to have it. [Eriksen, Fernandes] and Rashy. They're probably the three and Ronaldo when he was here, obviously.
"I did take one [instead of Ronaldo], I think, but he wasn't too happy with that!
“But then with the three we have now, it's where we are on the pitch, how people are feeling, so it's like 'you had the last one, I'll have the next one'."
The Portugal international has scored some 59 free kicks in his career since making his professional debut in 2002, with a conversion rate of just over six per cent.
However, in recent years Ronaldo’s accuracy from set pieces has been comparatively poor. Ronaldo managed nine across his last four years at Real Madrid, just one in his three-year stay at Juventus and only one during his second coming at Old Trafford.
