The surprising new goal celebration Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo revealed after he netted the 700th club goal of his career at the weekend has now been explained.
The 37-year-old debuted a new gimmick after netting the winner in his side's 2-1 win over Everton on Sunday, when he became only the second player in the history of the sport to score 700 club goals after Austrian legend Josef Bican, per Manutd.com.
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Known for his trademark jump and "SIUUUU" shout after scoring, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner took a different approach after hitting the back of the net on Sunday, standing upright with his head back, eyes closed, and fingers crossed in front of his chest, seemingly signalling a resting position as new winger Antony joined him in the pose.
United have now provided an explanation behind what motivated the new celebration at Goodison Park.
"We can now reveal that Ronaldo's celebration was a self-deprecating in-joke with his fellow teammates, highlighting the strong bonds among the players in Erik ten Hag's squad," the club explained on its official website.
"Of course, Cristiano is renowned for looking after himself and ensuring he is always in the best possible condition, which naturally involves hours of hard work on the training pitch and in the gym.
"It also includes resting at the right moments and ensuring he has enough sleep to aid his recovery: it has previously been reported that Ronaldo naps several times a day!
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"CR7's celebration at Everton was amusingly a nod to the position in which he sleeps when travelling with the squad, which hasn't gone unnoticed by his teammates who are all eager to learn from him."
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