I learned from Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United - and I'm about to return home

Anthony Elanga encountered his lowest moment at Manchester United when he missed a penalty in a shootout against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup fourth round at Old Trafford.

Elanga ballooned his penalty into the Stretford End, which meant Middlesbrough won the game, and he looked like he wanted the pitch to swallow him whole as he trudged back.

But Cristiano Ronaldo was there to console him. “He kept speaking to me and telling me, ‘It’s not the end of the world, I’ve missed loads before and you’ve shown character and professionalism taking one at your age.’ I took that on board," Elanga reflected two years later.

Ronaldo said young players in the modern game "don't care" after his bombshell exit from United but his criticism wasn't aimed at Elanga, who he took under his wing at Carrington.

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“I’ve always been someone who wants to find that extra percentage to improve and I tried to take some chapters out of Ronaldo's book," said Elanga in an interview with The Times.

Elanga made his first-team debut for United just three months before Ronaldo re-signed and he observed how the five-time Ballon d'Or winner trained, prepared for games and carried himself, something that Ronaldo hinted other youngsters didn't take proper notice of.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gave Elanga his debut but he became Ralf Rangnick's legacy and he made 37 appearances in 2021/22, scoring eight goals and assisting five times for United.

That season was a special year for Elanga on a personal level. United were awful, sacked Solskjaer and Rangnick oversaw a sixth-placed finish in the league, but he started