Gary Neville has highlighted the problems a move for Cristiano Ronaldo could cause clubs as he branded his former team-mate a "magnet for trouble".
Ronaldo left Manchester United by mutual agreement in November, shortly after a controversial interview in which he criticised various elements and individuals at the Premier League club. He has put his next club move on hold while playing for Portugal at the World Cup, but the Selecao fell at the quarter-final stage against Morocco, leading to the dismissal of manager Fernando Santos.
The 37-year-old's reaction to the last-eight defeat did not go down brilliantly, with Ronaldo heading down the tunnel in tears, while he was dropped to the bench by Santos after a reported disagreement during the group stages. And Neville, who has been working as a pundit during the World Cup, is concerned that recent developments at club and international level might put off potential suitors.
"I think that something has happened during the tournament which meant that plan changed and Santos has thought, ‘no I need to leave you out’," Neville told Sky Sports. "But Portugal leaving Cristiano Ronaldo out, you’re not just leaving another player out, you’re leaving out someone who doesn’t like being left out - no player does - but then it becomes a global story.
"I actually felt sorry for Cristiano when he walked down the tunnel in tears, that long walk down the tunnel after the game against Morocco. That’s never a good image because you know he’s thinking ‘I’m never going to play in this tournament again’.
"I wouldn’t class it as an underachievement from Cristiano - I’d say he’s an overachiever to be doing what he’s doing at 37, it’s just the way in which it ended with him being out of the team. I think it must have a bearing both for clubs looking to sign him and for the club he’s going to choose, because I think there’s no doubt Cristiano wants to and has to play else he’s not going to be happy, he’s not going to accept it."
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Over the summer, Ronaldo was linked with a number of clubs, with Bayern Munich among those to rule out a move after internal talks. There has been interest from Saudi Arabia, as well as reports of European clubs remaining in the mix, but Neville suggests the conversation around his next destination will need to be a careful one.
"Unless there’s a change of heart, a change of approach, and the club and the player decide they’re going to have an honest conversation saying ‘look you’re not going to play, you’ll be on the bench every other week and you’ll compete with the others for your place’," he continued "But we’ve seen that with the last two teams he’s played in - Man Utd and Portugal - and that’s not gone down particularly well, for either party.
"I think that pressure of having him on the bench and how the media is so big, he’s so big with the fans and the media, he’s one of the greatest players to ever play, is almost like a magnet for trouble for the club that they’re playing for because the focus becomes the player who’s not on the pitch rather than those that are playing."
Neville remains hopeful that his former team-mate can find a suitable club "in the major leagues," and hasn't ruled out a Premier League return. However, he recognises the player's demands and the media attention which will come with any move remain key considerations.
