Portuguese footballer Diogo Dalot has shared how he found out about Cristiano Ronaldo’s sensational return to Manchester United. Dalot, who considers Ronaldo his hero, revealed that playing alongside the legendary forward remains the proudest achievement of his career.

Dalot and Ronaldo were teammates at Manchester United for a season and a half, starting in the summer of 2021 when Ronaldo made his highly anticipated comeback to Old Trafford.

This marked his second spell with the club, after initially making a name for himself there between 2003 and 2009 before moving to Real Madrid.

Recalling how he learned of Ronaldo’s return, Dalot, now 25, said the news came directly from the man himself.

“We spoke during national team duties, and he told me he was coming back to Manchester United. He was excited about it,” Dalot said.

He added that he had first met Ronaldo during the 2020 UEFA European Championship and, by coincidence, they became club teammates just two months later.

Reflecting on the experience of sharing the pitch with one of football’s all-time greats, Dalot described it as both surreal and inspiring.

“It’s a bit intimidating at first because you don’t want to risk being disappointed when you meet your idols,” he admitted.

“But with Ronaldo, it was the opposite. He exceeded my expectations.

He’s not only an incredible footballer but also a fantastic human being.”

Dalot went on to emphasize how much the experience meant to him.

“To me, playing alongside Ronaldo is probably the highlight of my career so far. It’s something I’ll always cherish.”