Premier League all-time goal scorer Alan Shearer has launched a scathing attack on Cristiano Ronaldo, blasting the Manchester United ace's behavior as "selfish" and "unacceptable" after the five-time Ballon d'Or winner opted to walk down the tunnel before the final whistle at Old Trafford earlier this week.
Ronaldo's latest sulk came after he didn't feature in United's game against Spurs and had to spend the entire game on the bench. However, Ronaldo was seen heading toward the tunnel in the 89th minute when the game was about to end instead of waiting for the final whistle.
In a no-holds-barred attack on CR7, Shearer went on to add that his behavior "was a terrible example" to set in front of his United teammates, considering most of them have grown up idolizing him.
"From the outset, I should say that Cristiano Ronaldo's recent behaviour is totally unacceptable," Shearer said in his column for the British sports website The Athletic.
"'Showing respect to your team-mates, your manager and your club's supporters are amongst the fundamentals in football and to refuse to come on as a substitute, as Erik ten Hag has confirmed, and retreat to the dressing-room with a game still in progress takes a flamethrower to one of the primary dressing-room codes," the former Newcastle United forward added, urging Red Devils boss Ten Hag to take action against the Portuguese footballer.
"In a team game, where the basic principle is that you're all in it together win or lose, such a display of selfishness and petulance is desperately unprofessional and it's right that Ronaldo should be disciplined by Manchester United because of it," the 52-year-old stated. "His was a terrible example to set and it's a shame that instead of reflecting on their best performance of the season against Tottenham Hotspur, Ten Hag has been forced to talk about someone who only figured on the periphery."
"In a team game, where the basic principle is that you're all in it together win or lose, such a display of selfishness and petulance is desperately unprofessional and it's right that Ronaldo should be disciplined by Manchester United because of it," the 52-year-old stated. "His was a terrible example to set and it's a shame that instead of reflecting on their best performance of the season against Tottenham Hotspur, Ten Hag has been forced to talk about someone who only figured on the periphery."
After Ronaldo's dramatic exit, Ten Hag announced that Ronaldo will not feature in the Saturday Premier League clash against Chelsea.
Ronaldo has faced a turbulent period since returning to United. Despite featuring in eight of the Manchester-based club’s ten games this season, he has spent most of his time on the bench.