• CR7 took in two memorable spells at Old Trafford
• Still going strong in Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr
• Argentine icon never sought English challenge

WHAT HAPPENED?

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has only achieved that feat on one previous occasion, across his two spells at Old Trafford. Ronaldo claimed Golden Ball honours in 2007-08 when plundering 31 goals in the English top-flight.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

He registered 17 and 18 efforts either side of that, while also falling two short of the 20-goal mark during his first year back at United in 2021-22. Ronaldo hit 50 across all competitions for Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr last season and remains a prolific presence for club and country.

WHAT COLE SAID

With that in mind, Cole has told Cardplayer.com when asked if CR7 could cut it in the Premier League a matter of weeks away from celebrating his 40th birthday: “Cristiano Ronaldo is so special. He has an unbelievable work rate, attitude, everything is just absolutely phenomenal. I have nothing but admiration for him. I really do, Any young kid who is aspiring to be a professional football player shouldn't look any further than him. Please don't look any further than him because he is everything young kids should be aspiring to get to the top.

“That level of work rate, consistency and wanting to improve season on season. He is the ultimate professional and if kids don’t want to be like him as a footballer then they should retire already. Would he still score 20 goals in the Premier League? Definitely. He'll always score goals because he has that quality. He's just a monster, an absolute phenomenon.”

DID YOU KNOW?

Ronaldo has spent his career locked in a battle for global supremacy with eternal rival Lionel Messi. Asked whether the Argentine icon could also have thrived in England had he decided to head down that path at some point, 1999 Treble winner Cole added: “Would Lionel Messi have scored 50 goals in a Premier League season at his peak? Why not?

“When you get players like Lionel Messi, with the talent they have, they make sure they are constantly improving at all the clubs they play for as well as their country. Messi would’ve done exactly that in the Premier League.”

WHAT NEXT?

Messi is now on the books at MLS side Inter Miami, where he has claimed MVP honours in 2024, while Ronaldo is seeing his contract run down in the Middle East. There has been talk of him returning to Britain at some stage as a coach or investor alongside the likes of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at Wrexham.