‘Get your shirt afterwards’ – Are Cristiano Ronaldo rivals going easy in Al-Nassr & Portugal superstar’s bid to reach 1000 goals?

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has stated that he intends to reach four figures on the career goal front before giving any thought to retirement. He has surged beyond 920 and is showing no sign of slowing down at 40 years of age.

Ronaldo remains a prolific presence for Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr and continues to be selected by Portugal. With domestic and international competition on the agenda, hitting another remarkable milestone is considered to be a distinct possibility.

Teddy Sheringham, who left Manchester United two years prior to Ronaldo’s arrival at Old Trafford in 2003, believes that the all-time great can pull off a notable achievement on the goal front. The ex-England international has, however, asked questions of how difficult defences in the Middle East are making life for CR7.

Sheringham told Prime Casino: “I think Ronaldo will get to 1,000 goals, especially with the league that he's playing in. I think he could probably get to 1,000 goals in the next two seasons. But again, I've talked about it before, it gets harder when you get older as a player. Once you get past that 40th birthday.

“Then again, he's not going to be getting kicked about all over the place. He has the red carpet rolled out for him every time he steps onto the pitch and the centre-halves that he's playing against are probably saying, Cristiano, let me see what you can do, and you can score a goal so I can applaud you, and get your shirt afterwards.”

Ronaldo remains adamant that he is not being given an easy ride, with the Portuguese icon courting controversy when claiming that the Saudi Pro League is more competitive than Ligue 1 and the MLS division that eternal rival Lionel Messi now graces with Inter Miami.