Cristiano Ronaldo has publicly criticised Manchester United and Erik ten Hag because is "ego is dented", according to former Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe.
Clips of an explosive interview between Piers Morgan and Ronaldo, which will be aired in full this week on TalkTV’s Piers Morgan Uncensored, were released on Sunday and immediately caused shockwaves across football.
In the footage, Ronaldo admits he does not respect United manager Ten Hag after being forced to play a bit-part role this season.
He also questions how much progress United have made since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down as manager – also criticising the facilities on offer at Old Trafford.
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In one particularly striking moment, Ronaldo aims a dig at his former teammate Wayne Rooney – labelling the former England international "finished" while also mocking his appearance.
"His ego is dented"
Former Tottenham striker Defoe believes Ronaldo has chosen to speak out after having his "ego" bruised this season, with Ten Hag at one point dropping the Portugal international from his starting XI.
Discussing Ronaldo's interview, Match of the Day pundits Jermaine Jenas and Defoe were shocked at the United striker's behaviour.
"First of all, I'm baffled and confused as to why he's done this interview," Jenas said.
"I think it just leads you to how Cristiano Ronaldo is feeling right now and how he’s felt all season. We've seen nothing but almost petulance throughout the whole year."
To which Defoe replied: "Maybe his ego is dented a little bit. He's not ever been in this situation before."
When asked if Ronaldo is now finished at Manchester United, Jenas added: "Ronaldo has to behave in line with how the rest of the team does. He can't be involved in the team now."
How to watch Morgan's full interview with Ronaldo
Morgan’s interview with Ronaldo will appear on the UK journalist’s TalkTV show 'Piers Morgan Uncensored'.
The 90-minute interview will be shown over two nights on November 16 and November 17.
It will be broadcast at 8pm GMT in the UK.
In the UK TalkTV can be accessed on Sky channel 526, Virgin Media channel 606, Freeview channel 237 and Freesat channel 217.
The interview is also available to stream with an Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Samsung TV Plus.
Topics: Cristiano Ronaldo, Football, Jermain Defoe, Manchester United, Premier League
Rory O'Callaghan