Cristiano Ronaldo still swapped shirts after Saudi ‘tussle’ with Al-Nassr rival Jack Hendry – who claims on-field scrap was ‘enjoyable’

The Scotland international defender locked horns with Portuguese superstar Ronaldo during a recent clash between Al-Nassr and Al-Ettifaq. Towards the end of that contest, the pair could be seen grappling for possession in a scrap that saw their arms become tangled.

Ronaldo, who saw Al-Nassr scrape a 1-0 win, wanted a free-kick after seeing Hendry refuse to back down. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was clearly frustrated at not getting the decision he felt was justified, with neither he nor Hendry prepared to back down.

Ronaldo could have been forgiven for giving a domestic rival short shrift at the final whistle, but instead he was happy to grant a shirt swap request. Hendry has told BBC Sport of tangling with the all-time great and having something to show for his efforts: “Really good to be playing against these types of guys. Ronaldo is obviously one of the best players in the world and what he has achieved is amazing. To test myself against him and have that kind of tussle is always enjoyable. It was good to speak to him after and swap jerseys. I'll keep that for a later date!”

Hendry joined Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson at Al-Ettifaq when completing a move from Club Brugge and has enjoyed his experience in Saudi Arabia so far. He added on gracing the big-spending Pro League: “I think if you look at the standard of players going over, the league is going to continue to grow. With them looking towards the World Cup in 2034, I think there will be a real drive to improve the game. I am sure it will be one of the strongest leagues in the world very soon.”