Hull City defender, Ruben Vinagre, has claimed that Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo opened up English football for Portuguese players.
Vinagre said this while giving credit to Ronaldo’s impact in the Premier League for playing a pivotal role in his career.
The 24-year-old was just a four-year-old toddler when an 18-year-old Ronaldo decided to join Manchester United from Sporting CP back in 2003.
“I grew up watching Ronaldo at Manchester (United) and I thought I’d love to play in England. When Wolves provided the opportunity of course I wanted to go there and prove myself,”Vinagre said (via The Yorkshire Post).
“Ronaldo opened up English football for Portuguese players. Now there are a lot of Portuguese players in the Premier League and the Championship.”
Ronaldo established himself as one of the best players in the Premier League over the course of his six-year stint with the Red Devils.
He scored 118 goals in 292 appearances across all competitions, winning nine major trophies with Man United.
The Al-Nassr captain also won the FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon d’Or in 2008.
