Anthony Elanga, who plays forward for Manchester United, has acknowledged that his opinion of Cristiano Ronaldo has not shifted since he discussed the topic with Piers Morgan.
It was announced on Sunday night that Ronaldo would be interviewing with Morgan, just a few hours after Alejandro Garnacho scored the game-winning goal in the 93rd minute against Fulham. It was not the first time that the 37-year-old had taken the spotlight away from his teammates this season; in October, during his team's 2-0 victory over Tottenham, he walked down the tunnel at Old Trafford before full-time.
Because he disregarded Erik ten Hag's instructions on that particular day, the Dutchman is now the target of severe criticism from the aforementioned former Real Madrid player. The five-time winner of the Ballon d'Or has made a number of accusations, one of which is that the young players of today do not have the same mentality or hunger as he did.
During his interview on TalkTV, Ronaldo said the following to Morgan: "They are from a different era, but that does not mean that they do not respect the more experienced players or the older players. I am able to look at my child, who is now 12 years old. They do not suffer, which indicates that their mentality has changed.
"Their hunger [is different]. I believe that things are easier for them, that everything is simple, that they do not suffer, and that they do not care that they do not suffer. I don't mean just a select few in Manchester United; I mean the youngsters on all of the teams, in every league across the globe. They are not the same as people of my generation.
He continued by saying, "I'm not surprised by it." "On the other hand, it is a shame that even though they have the best examples right in front of their eyes, they don't at least copy what you did. They do not care, some of them do care, but the majority of them do not, and this does not surprise me in the least.
"They are not going to have a long career because it is impossible for them to do so. In my generation, there are many players who reach 36, 37, or 38 at a high level; however, in this new generation, the number of players who will reach that level will be so few that you will be able to count them on one hand."
Elanga, who is only 20 years old, is one of the younger players currently on United's roster. The Swede was given the starting role in his team's recent victory over Fulham in the Premier League, and he has now given his response to Ronaldo's comments.
In an interview with the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, which was obtained from Sport Witness, he stated, "Cristiano talks about young players in general. We belong to a different generation. Even though I am always concentrating one hundred percent of my attention on what it is that I am doing, I can comprehend what it is that he is saying.
"There are a great number of telephones and a great deal of technological advancements. It is very simple for younger players to become sidetracked and lose their concentration. I always give one hundred percent of my attention to my job and the tasks that I perform. Even though I'm not a young player at United, I can still understand what he's saying to the others.
"It is extremely challenging. Everyone has their own phones, and I have friends in Manchester as well as in Sweden who are interested in learning what has transpired. That is something I am not familiar with. I am only aware of what other people have told me. It is my hope that I will eventually learn the truth.
"I make an effort to tune out. But everyone is nosy, and my family is especially bad about it because they always want to know what's going on. That is the way things are. It's possible that I'll be able to elaborate further once I get back to the club team and find out what exactly took place."
When the forward, Elanga, was questioned about how much Ronaldo means to him, he made it abundantly clear how highly he continues to regard the Portugal international despite the accusations that were made by his teammate.
He responded with "Very much. Not only has he been of great assistance to me on the field, but also away from it. Not only does he serve as an example for me, but he also does so for all of the younger players at United. There are times when it's just the two of us at the gym.
After Ronaldo's comments, Elanga was questioned again about whether or not his opinion of Ronaldo had shifted in any way. He responded, "No, not nearly as much. Because whenever I'm in his presence, he hasn't evolved in any way. For my purposes, he is still Cristiano Ronaldo. He has been of great assistance to me."
Alphonsus Odumu 1 w
Elanga