Ex-Manchester United star Anthony Elanga has revealed the piece of advice Cristiano Ronaldo gave him when they were both playing for the Old Trafford club.
Anthony Elanga And Manchester United
Having grown up in Sweden, Elanga moved to the United Kingdom and was scouted by Manchester United at the age of 12.
The Sweden international made his debut for the club in May 2021 and went on to score 3 goals in 39 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils.
Upon realising that his first team minutes under Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag would be limited ahead of the 2023/24 season, Elanga made the £15m switch to Nottingham Forest in the summer.
This season, the 21-year-old has been key to Nottingham Forest’s relegation battle, scoring 5 goals in 25 Premier League appearances for the club.
Time to get back at Nottingham Forest's players, especially Anthony Elanga, for this rubbish dance video when Man United lost at the City Ground.
Our lads aren't shameless to dance like this. But I'm sure Erik ten Hag's devils will make them cry. 👹pic.twitter.com/UXXUuX0jLd
— 𝐊𝐢á𝐡 (fan) (@UtdKiah) February 28, 2024
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Advice To Anthony Elanga
This evening, Elanga faces an FA Cup fixture against his former team Manchester United and he has been discussing how working with world-class players while at the club helped his development.
In an interview with The Times, Elanga was questioned on what it was like playing with legends of the game Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, to which the Swedish international replied: “They are easily approachable, I enjoyed working with them and I think they enjoyed working with me.
“I’ve always been someone who wants to find that extra percentage to improve. Having Ronaldo come in, I tried to take some chapters out of his book and try and form it into mine.
“There was a time when I missed a penalty [against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup] and after that, he kept speaking to me and telling me, ‘It’s not the end of the world, I’ve missed loads before and you’ve shown character and professionalism taking one at your age.’ I took that on board and that’s really helpful.”
Elanga, who was an EFL Cup winner with United last season, then discussed facing his former club: “For me, it’s about showing I can do it against any team.
“Especially coming up against your old team you want to show them even more that you can do it. I feel I need to keep in my lane and keep doing what I’m doing.
“The people on the outside don’t know me so I don’t listen to the external noise. I just stay inside and try and keep improving.”
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!