Gary Neville has called on Cristiano Ronaldo to stay at Manchester United and accept he'll play fewer games - pointing out he's looked happier at Old Trafford in recent weeks.
Ronaldo has made only one Premier League start this season in the 4-0 hammering by Brentford and has been reduced to a bit-part role under Erik ten Hag.
The 37-year-old scored his 700th club-career goal after coming off the bench in United's comeback win over Everton on Sunday, proving he still has an important role to play at Old Trafford.
And now his former teammate Neville has called on Ronaldo to swallow his pride and help United return to the Champions League ahead of this weekend's clash with Newcastle.
"What I would hope is that, like with any other player coming towards the end of his career, he'll accept that he won't play every single game and he'll stay and become a massive contributor like he was on Sunday night [in the win over Everton] and United will have a good season," Neville told Mirror Football, speaking ahead of The Overlap Live at Wembley.
"If Ronaldo stays I do think they have a far better chance of being a top-four team, even if he doesn't play every week and he comes off the bench like he did against Everton. But I suspect his mentality, his psyche is such that he can't not play.
"He feels it's an insult and people I respect enormously in the game think he's being disrespected by being on the bench, but I don't see that at all. I think Erik ten Hag has come out of this really well."
Ronaldo was strongly linked with a transfer away from United in the summer due to the lack of Champions League football available at Old Trafford this season.
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Reports surrounding Ronaldo's future have subsequently died down, and Neville is hopeful that the Portugal international will now knuckle down at United and focus on gearing up for the World Cup.
He added: "For me, I hope he can somehow think, 'Where am I going to play where the fans love me as much, where there are still trophies on the table? We can achieve stuff.' Where is he going to play in Europe?
"In the summer, no one wanted him in the transfer window. I think United have played it pretty well, this one.
"He's playing, doing the right things on and off the pitch. There are no conversations coming out about Ronaldo at this moment in time about anything, it's just all focus to get ready for the World Cup."
Ronaldo's goal against Everton was his first in the Premier League and Neville believes it can be a turning point for the forward.
"I thought it was interesting on Sunday when he scored that goal. I thought the players who were out there on the pitch really responded to that and I think you can tell a lot in goal celebrations," said Neville.
"I have to say over the last 12 months there have been times where I can see when he's scored or when someone else has scored and I've thought there isn't much togetherness there.
"I did feel on Sunday there was a genuinely good atmosphere in the group who went to celebrate with him and I think that's something that is really important, so the fact that that has happened makes me feel that he, at this moment, has got his head on."
* The Overlap Live – with Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher and Roy Keane – hits Ovo Arena Wembley for its biggest-ever live show on Thursday, November 10. For tickets and more information go to www.cuffeandtaylor.com
