Cristiano Ronaldo's comments about Man United star proved right as team

Cristiano Ronaldo's comments about Man United star proved right as team-mate singles him out

Cristiano Ronaldo's past comments praising a former Manchester United team-mate have been backed up by a current star of the squad

Benjamin Sesko is hard at work attempting to follow in Cristiano Ronaldo's footsteps by lifting Manchester United to greatness. And it seems the two are somewhat kindred spirits after each taking a liking to the same personalities at Old Trafford.

More specifically, Sesko has taken after Ronaldo by developing a close bond with United defender Diogo Dalot. Aside from both being from Portugal, Ronaldo spoke highly of his countryman's characteristics when discussing players he admired.

It was towards the tail end of Ronaldo's second stint at Old Trafford that he infamously appeared on Piers Morgan's TalkTV show. And when pressed on which team-mates or opponents he held respect for, Dalot came out atop the list regarding United comrades.

"In Manchester United I can mention Dalot," said the five-time Ballon d'Or-winner. "He's young, but very professional [and] I don't doubt that he's going to have longevity in football because he's young, he's smart, intelligent and he's very professional. Probably [Lisandro] Martinez, Casemiro is in his 30s, but I will say Dalot."

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Fast-forward to the present day, and Dalot has displayed other appealing traits after helping Sesko settle in. The 22-year-old arrived at Old Trafford from RB Leipzig last summer in a deal potentially worth £74million, but Dalot played his role in making the switch a simple one.

When asked about which players at United he has bonded with in particular, the Slovenian told the Inside Carrington podcast: "Diogo Dalot. From the start, he was really helping me.

"Trying to help me in all the ways because it’s a different world here. I’m really grateful that he stood up, and he saw his younger self in me. We are still pushing each other every day, doing all the work."

United fans may have Dalot to thank for Sesko's uptick in form of late as the striker has helped raise standards on the field. The frontman has scored five goals in his last six appearances and has been crucial to Michael Carrick's success as interim manager.

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Sesko scored both of United's goals in a 2-2 draw away at Burnley last month, albeit not the result he and his team-mates wanted. He's since come off the bench to score the winner in the 3-2 victory over Fulham, as well as bagging the equaliser in the 1-1 draw at West Ham last week.

Dalot, 26, also continues to play a prominent role in Carrick's plans despite some fans raising concerns about his contributions in the past. The full-back has scored once and recorded three assists in 26 outings across all competitions this term.

The Porto academy graduate, who joined United in 2018, was of rare value in Ruben Amorim's former strategy given he's able to play in either wing-back position. That role is no longer in use under Carrick, but the club legend has nonetheless found use for a player both Sesko and Ronaldo clearly revere.

Dalot appears to have cemented his place as first-choice right-back under Carrick, while Sesko has largely had to settle for minutes off the bench. It's a set-up that's worked for the most part to date, though the latter will hope to share more minutes with his close companion in the months to come.

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