Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo has been told to buy a young Everton fan a new phone after appearing to smash his old one following the shock defeat to Everton on Saturday.
As the Portugal captain headed down the tunnel following United's 1-0 loss to the Toffees on Saturday, Ronaldo appeared to slap a mobile phone from the crowd and onto the floor in temper, breaking the device. He has since publicly apologised for his actions and offered 14-year-old Jake Harding tickets to watch United at Old Trafford.
But that invitation has been declined by Harding’s mother, who has accused Ronaldo of ‘assaulting’ her son. And talkSPORT presenter Simon Jordan believes that the former Real Madrid star needs to simply buy the boy a new phone and that there are ‘no excuses’ for his actions.
“It was inappropriate from [Cristiano] Ronaldo, whatever fit or peak he is in, whatever he is not used to. He is not used to playing in teams which lose in the manner Manchester United do, he has not played his career in teams that lose like this, but he has time to get used to this,” said Jordan on air.
“You don’t ever get used to being a loser, if you have been the winner all your life, do you? So, his behaviour is unacceptable. He should absolutely apologise. He should buy the kid a new phone. These are things you should want to do, because, ultimately, you have behaved badly for a moment.”
Ronaldo endured a miserable afternoon at Goodison Park, hardly influencing the game and growing visibly frustrated by the performance of his side generally. However, Jordan says that is no excuse, he continued: “There is no excuse where someone as iconic in people’s minds [should do something like this]. This is someone so used to this that he should be able to rise above it.
“What was it really? It was a stupid and petulant act, did he mean to do what he did, was it a lash out without really thinking? Did he know it was a child? He knocked a kid’s phone out of his hand, it’s unacceptable behaviour and he should be consequenced, reprimanded, I think he should apologise to the kid and replace his property.”
Merseyside Police confirmed that they are holding inquiries into the incident to establish what had happened and whether an offence has taken place. The FA are also investigating the incident and are yet to release their conclusions
"It’s never easy to deal with emotions in difficult moments such as the one we are facing," wrote Ronaldo on Instagram. "Nevertheless, we always have to be respectful, patient and set the example for all the youngsters who love the beautiful game.
"I would like to apologise for my outburst and, if possible, I would like to invite this supporter to watch a game at Old Trafford as a sign of fair-play and sportsmanship."
