Manchester United legend Gary Neville has sent a message to Cristiano Ronaldo after falling down the pecking order this season.
After not getting a move in the recent transfer window, the 37-year-old has been relegated to a bench role and is yet to start a Premier League game under Erik ten Hag.
The Portuguese forward did come off the bench last Sunday to score the winning goal against Everton, which was his 700th career goal.
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"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 a 2-1 win over Everton] and United will have a good season," Neville told the Mirror.
"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. 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."
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