Former England striker Bothroyd delivered a strong assessment of Ronaldo’s display while speaking on Sky Sports. He argued that Portugal would benefit if the veteran accepted a place on the bench and was used as an impact substitute.
“Have to be honest, I think if Ronaldo is a team player, I think he should step down and understand that he has to be a player that comes off the bench as an impact player,” Bothroyd said. “Is he ever going to do that? Nope, I don’t think he is. And that’s my point.”
Bothroyd also questioned Ronaldo’s continued pursuit of comparisons with Lionel Messi and suggested it was affecting Portugal’s collective balance.
“I look at Ronaldo and… the Ronaldo faithful are going to hate me today, but it looks like it’s all about him, yeah? You know, and he’s always chasing Messi all the time,” he added. “He’s never going to be Messi, but what he has throughout his career, he’s made the absolute most out of his career… But right now he’s becoming more of a hindrance for Portugal than help, and I think that’s where Martinez is going wrong.”
