Ex-Manchester United defender Wes Brown reckons Cristiano Ronaldo might be regretting that his generous pass to Bruno Fernandes at Euro 2024.
Ronaldo shocked fans when he decided to square the ball to his Portuguese team-mate instead of going for glory himself during Portugal’s 3-0 victory over Turkey.
Fernandes slotted the ball home for an easy goal, but Ronaldo’s selfless act raised eyebrows, particularly with Brown, who thinks the Al-Nassr star might have had second thoughts, reports the Mirror.
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Speaking on Reach’s new Euro Thrash podcast – which you can find in YouTube, Apple and Spotify, Brown said: “I’m looking at his face afterwards and he was thinking ‘I could have just slotted that past the keeper’, but that is Ronnie, that is what he has always strived for.
“In his mind, he will have been thinking ‘I should have scored there’. It’s nothing personal, he is that guy who wants to be top of the charts everywhere and that is why he has been so good for so many years.”
Despite not getting on the scoresheet himself, the 39-year-old has still looked sharp for Portugal, who’ve already secured their place in the knockout stages. “He has looked good, really confident and back to himself,” Brown added. “You can see he is still trying to give it all.
“Sometimes I think him and Bruno both like the ball, so you wonder what is going to happen, but everyone seems to be jolly and nice and he’s fitting in well.”
Amidst all the drama from Germany, sparks flew in the England squad after Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer slammed the Three Lions for their lacklustre 1-1 draw with Denmark, leading Harry Kane to clap back at the ex-England forwards.
Ex-England star Brown, who earned 23 caps, confessed that the press can heavily contribute to the pressure on the team, saying: “I don’t think we make it any easier for the lads but that is part and parcel of football. I think that we all understand that as footballers. It is those who deal with that best who normally win.”
He also noted the immense expectations placed on the players, adding: “We have put a lot of pressure on the lads in this tournament, everybody has fully expected us to win with the players that we have got”.
Watch and listen to Euro Thrash on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify with regular new episodes throughout Euro 2024