RONALDO: I’LL SHUT YOU UP!

United star hits back at critics accusing him of not pulling his weight

CRISTIANO RONALDO has promised to silence critics of his performances since returning to Manchester United.

The Portuguese superstar said he would ‘close the mouths’ of anyone questioning his displays ahead of today’s clash with Liverpool at Old Trafford.

He also claimed that accusations that he was not pulling his weight defensively for the team came only from those ‘who do not like me’.

‘I know when the team needs my help defensively,’ the forward said. ‘But my role in the club is to win, help the team to win and to score goals – [the defensive side] is part of my job.

‘The people who don’t want to see that is because they don’t like me but to be honest I’m 36, I win everything so am I going to be worried about the people who say bad things about me?

‘I sleep good at night. I go to my bed with my conscience very good. Keep

going with that because I will still close mouths and win things.’

United have gone three Premier League games without victory, losing twice, and Ronaldo has been criticised for pressing opponents less often than any of his counterpart Premier League forwards this season.

United’s poor form has put

pressure on manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer going into today’s game.

But Ronaldo insisted the personal criticism had not dimmed his enthusiasm for the club he rejoined.

‘Criticism is part of the business,’ he said. ‘I’m not worried about that. And I see it as a good thing, to be honest. If they worry about me or they speak about me, it’s because they know my potential and value in football still.

‘So it’s good. I’ll give you an example: if you’re in a school and you’re the best student, you ask the worst student if he likes the best, they’ll say they don’t like him.

‘I think the main word is that I’m still happy and enjoying football. It doesn’t matter how many things I won in my career. I win everything but I’m still motivated.

‘I’m in a new chapter of my life, even with my age, and this is why I am here — to try to win, and I think Manchester needs to be at this level of winning and thinking to win big things so I’m here to help.’

In a Sky Sports interview, Ronaldo revealed he had given his new teammates a motivational talk ahead of the season rather than perform a song in front of them, the traditional rite-of-passage for a new signing.

‘I said what I felt in that moment: that I’m here to win things,’ said Ronaldo.