Lisbon [Portugal], June 17 : Portugal's head coach Roberto Martinez believes that Cristiano Ronaldo's time in Saudi Arabia could benefit all team players.
Ahead of their Euro 2024 Qualifier match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Martinez feels that Ronaldo can be an example for the Portuguese players in the dressing room and he wants the iconic striker to pass on valuable tips to the youngsters in the national team.
"Playing in a non-European club is sometimes an advantage when playing in the national team. We have three ways of analysing a player: individual quality, experience and commitment. Cristiano's commitment is complete. He is an example for the locker room, an example for Portuguese and world football. He has played 198 matches for the national team," Martinez told reporters as quoted by Goal.com.
"Cristiano and [veteran FC Porto defender] Pepe are examples of Portuguese football, and we need them to pass all the experience and wisdom to the youngest players. Like any other player, he [Ronaldo] needs to train well in order to play. We need a high-performance environment with competition for our players," Martinez added.
The 38-year-old striker has adjusted well to the challenging circumstances and he remains committed to Al Nassr despite rumours of him leaving after just one season.
Two weeks ago in an interview with SPL Ronaldo said, "I am happy here, I want to continue here, I will continue here. And in my opinion, if they continue to do the work that they want to do here, for the next five years, I think the Saudi league can be a top-five league in the world," Ronaldo said in an interview with the SPL as quoted by ESPN.
Since his arrival in January, Ronaldo has found the back of the net 14 times in 16 appearances in Saudi Arabia as his club finished second in the Pro League.
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