Why Roy Keane believes Cristiano Ronaldo should be praised for returning to Manchester United

Roy Keane has hailed Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo for returning to Old Trafford and wanting to succeed for a second time with the club, pointing to his strong mentality.

The Portuguese forward, who returned to M16 from Italian heavyweights Juventus in August last year, notched his first Premier League goal of the season against Everton on Sunday evening, securing an important 2-1 win for Erik ten Hag's side. The goal was also a landmark moment for the Portugal captain, as he notched the 700th strike of his spectacular club career.

Ronaldo, who had only scored once this season prior to his well-taken effort at Goodison Park, has struggled for regular minutes under Ten Hag so far this term, starting just once in the Premier League. He stepped off the bench just before the half-hour mark on Sunday night, replacing the injured Anthony Martial.

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Although Ronaldo will be increasingly frustrated with his lack of opportunities this term, Keane has praised his former teammate for his decision to come back to United at a time when they were lagging a long way behind their rivals.

"I think he has got that football intelligence," Keane told Sky Sports. "He is a student of the game and he is always wanting to learn, even now.

"He has also got international goals; his international record is fantastic. He has done it with his country and won a major trophy. The way he has learned his trade... but you can see as he has got older he has changed his game.

"When he was young he was a dribbler, beating players. As he got older, he realised and thought 'I'm not getting involved in that, I want to get on the end of stuff instead'. That's his football