'Never seen another player like him' - Sadio Mane reveals exactly why he's blown away by 'incredible' Al-Nassr team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo

Al-Nassr set the trend of signing top players from across the world in January 2023 when they shocked everyone by securing a transfer for Ronaldo, who was a free agent at that time after leaving Manchester United by mutual agreement in November 2022. The former Real Madrid, Juventus and United star's arrival in the Kingdom created quite a stir and also opened new avenues for the other Saudi Pro League clubs.

In the subsequent summer, top stars from European football headed to the Middle East, with the likes of Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante joining Al-Ittihad, while Neymar moved to Al-Hilal. Al-Nassr too further bolstered their attack by signing Mane from Bayern Munich.

In the last two seasons, Al-Nassr have made several high-profile signings, especially in the last transfer window as they landed Joao Felix, Inigo Martinez and Kingsley Coman. However, Mane and Ronaldo continue to remain the brightest star in their squad.

Speaking highly of his Portuguese colleague, the ex-Liverpool winger said via OJogo: "I didn't know him, but I read and saw on television things about his dedication, his mentality, and his professionalism. When I arrived in Saudi Arabia, that's exactly what I saw. It's incredible. Even at 40 years old, you can see that. He's an athlete, a complete athlete. He's an example for all footballers in the world. That's Cristiano. His mentality, his thirst for victory... His professionalism is impressive. I've never seen another player like him."

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A couple of weeks ago, a former Al-Nassr team-mate of Ronado, Anderson Talisca had told BadSports: "It was an incredible two years. When he arrived, I had already been there for two years. I spent four years at the club, an incredible story. Playing with him was surreal, it was a dream for me. For me, he is the best in history. We trained together and did incredible things. Working with him, for me, as an athlete and as a human being, was about maximising the athlete's potential, being more professional, caring more about himself. It was incredible."

After failing to win a single major trophy in Saudi Arabia in his first two and a half years, Ronaldo is determined to end his wait for silverware this season. He urged the club to sign quality players like Felix and Coman, alongside former Barcelona defenderMartinez and so far the investment has paid off. Al-Nassr, under the tutelage of Jorge Jesus, have won their first eight matches in the Saudi Pro League and are three points clear at the top of the table.

Ronaldo will also aim to reach the 1000-goal mark at the end of the season, although it will be difficult to achieve the feat this season itself as he is still 47 goals short of the magic figure. Al-Nassr will next face Al-Khaleef in the SPL on Sunday.