Ronaldo says Neville and Rooney “not my friends” as he responds to criticism

Cristiano Ronaldo believes Gary Neville is using his name to boost his television profile, declaring that he and Wayne Rooney are not my friends.

More revelations have emerged from the Portuguese superstar’s explosive interview with Piers Morgan for TalkTV, where Ronaldo’s ire also focuses on his old Manchester United team-mates.

Talk TV

The first clips were released on Sunday night in which he said he felt “disrespected” and “betrayed” by Man United, taking aim at manager Erik ten Hag and the club’s hierarchy.

Ahead of the full 90-minute exclusive interview with TalkTV which airs on Wednesday and Thursday, more excerpts have been published.

This time it is Neville and Rooney that he has turned to as he responds to criticism from his former team-mates over his behavior at Old Trafford this season.

Ronaldo refused to come on as a substitute for United against Tottenham in October and was left out of the squad to play in the following game at Chelsea.

That prompted Neville to say: “We know him, we love him but he can’t accept not being the star man. He’s going to have to leave, that’s all.”

Ronaldo then blanked Neville – who he played alongside for seven years – live on Sky Sports at the end of October while warming up for a game against West Ham.

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Rooney, meanwhile, told talkSPORT last week that Ronaldo risked becoming an unwanted distraction at the club and his behavior was “unacceptable for Manchester United”.

Ronaldo was asked by TalkTV host Morgan about the criticism of two players he was once close to and with whom he enjoyed huge success.

He said: “People can have their own opinion but they don’t really know what’s going on. For example, inside the training ground and the Carrington ground or even my life – they should listen not just to one point of view, they have to listen to my point of view too.Because it’s easy to criticize.But if you don’t know the whole story, it’s easy.

“It’s easy to criticize, I don’t know if you have a job in television that they have to criticize to become more famous. I really don’t get it.”

Asked if Neville had used his name to get attention, he said: “I think they’re taking advantage of it because they’re not stupid.

“And I really understand that I have to go on with my life, with criticism or when people speak well of you, but it’s hard when you see people who sat in the dressing room with you and criticized like that. It’s not good.”

And when asked if he counts Rooney and Neville among his mates, Ronaldo replied: “They’re not my friends, they’re colleagues. We play together, they don’t come, we never have dinner together.”

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Ronaldo admits Rooney’s latest comments on talkSPORT surprised him.

Rooney, speaking on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast at the start of November, had said: “I just think the things he’s done from the start of the season, it’s not acceptable for Manchester United. I’ve seen Roy Keane defend him. Roy would don’t accept it Roy wouldn’t accept it at all.

“It’s a distraction that Manchester United don’t need at the moment, trying to rebuild.

“For Cristiano, just get your head down and work and be ready to play when the manager needs you. If he does, he will be an asset. If he doesn’t, it will be an unwanted distraction.”

On Rooney’s criticism, Ronaldo said: “It was a year ago, or six months ago. We are here in my house, he picked up his children here and he invited (12-year-old son) Cristiano to go to his house to play football .

“I really don’t understand people like that. Or if they want to be on the cover of the magazine in the news or if they want new jobs or whatever.”

Neville didn’t seem concerned about being left off the Christmas card list though, tweeting on Tuesday morning after the latest sneak peak: “Anyone for dinner?”

Ronaldo meanwhile claims he is still friends with two other United legends – Rio Ferdinand and former captain Roy Keane.

He called them “very good guys” and added: “Not only because they speak well of me, but they were there in the dressing room.

“They are footballers. They know how players think and behave.”

Watch “Piers Morgan Uncensored: 90 Minutes with Ronaldo”, 8pm on Wednesday and Thursday on TalkTV. Find TalkTV on Sky 526, Virgin Media 606, Freeview 237, Freesat 217 and Sky Glass 508, live and on demand on the TalkTV app, streaming services and on Talk.TV.

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