2019-01-09 2008 Nani RonaldoGetty Images

Nani defends ex-Man Utd team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo: 'He doesn't have time to lose!'

Nani has claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo "doesn't have time" to be part of long-term project as he pushes for an exit from Manchester United.

The Red Devils' poor start to the campaign suggests they may not compete for major honours anytime soon and the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is keen to arrange a departure.

Ronaldo's desire to leave has left a bitter taste in the mouths of some Manchester United fans who were ecstatic when his move from Juventus was agreed almost exactly a year ago. However, his former teammate - at both club and international level - can see exactly why he wants out as time is certainly not on his side.

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What did Nani say about Ronaldo's situation?

Speaking on Rio Ferdinand's VIBE WITH FIVE Podcast, Nani was quizzed on how he feels about the behaviour of his nation's all-time leading goalscorer.

"It’s a long time since we played together and Cristiano is not a kid anymore," said Nani. "Times change and the reactions and attitude can change as well. But, as we see, he’s doing the same things as usual; he doesn’t like to lose, he reacts when the team is not doing well.

"But the only difference is that it’s different times. He’s playing again at Man United but he’s been all over the world doing well at different teams with different players. He’s in a team where the managers are trying to build a strong team and it’s not easy, it takes time.

"For Cristiano, he doesn’t have time to lose on building teams or waiting for the next season. He wants to continue to be at the top, scoring goals, being the man. That’s why the reaction is normal, we all have the wrong reactions sometimes.”

How did Nani compare the old Manchester United side to the current one?

During his 52-minute chat with Ferdinand, Joel Beya and Stephen Howson, Nani had plenty of time to speak about his career at Old Trafford as well as the current state of affairs at the club.

“I don’t like to talk too much, I don’t talk about players but you can see there is no hunger, there is no attitude or desire to win in the club," Nani claimed. "You have a lot of talented players but they don't want to get tired. If I had to get sweaty to win, I would. They prefer to not sweat.

“You have talented players in the team with a lot of skills, they can shoot with their right foot and left but last game [against Brentford], no one was shooting at goal, everyone was passing."

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