Shem Isaac

🚨 Matheus Cunha reveals what he told Shea Lacey after the youngster inspired Manchester United’s dramatic 3–2 comeback against Roma: “Everybody is talking about my goals, but I think people should be talking about Shea Lacey. Because when you look at what happened tonight, you have to understand what that moment meant to him. I remember sitting with Shea after training a few weeks ago. He wasn’t complaining, but I could tell he wanted to play more. I asked him, ‘Shea, what’s bothering you?’ He said, ‘Nothing. I just want to help the team.’ I told him, ‘Then be ready. Because when your opportunity comes, nobody is going to ask how many minutes you’ve played this season. They’re going to expect you to do something with the ball.’ He smiled and said, ‘I know.’ But I don’t think he fully understood what I meant until tonight. We were drawing 2–2 against Roma, the clock was running down, and everybody inside Old Trafford was desperate for somebody to make something happen. When Shea came on, I remember looking at him and thinking, this is a lot of pressure for a young boy. But the funny thing about Shea is that he doesn’t seem to understand that he’s supposed to be nervous. The first time he got involved, he went straight at the defender. No hesitation. No passing backwards because he was afraid of losing possession. He wanted to make something happen. I remember thinking, ‘Okay, this boy has come here to play football.’ Then came the moment for the winner. When he received the ball, I started making my movement. And what impressed me wasn’t just that he saw the pass. It was the weight of it. He didn’t smash the ball towards me and hope I could reach it. He played it into the exact space where I needed it. Suddenly, I was through. And when I scored, I remember thinking about how much courage that pass required. Because at that stage of the game, if he gets it wrong, everybody remembers the mistake. But he didn’t get it wrong. After the celebrations, I went looking for him. I found him looking completely overwhelmed. I said, ‘Shea, what’s wrong with you? We’ve won the game.’ He told me, ‘I know. I just can’t believe it.’ I said, ‘Can’t believe what?’ He replied, ‘That I actually helped us win.’ And that was when I understood. For us, it was three points and another important Champions League victory. For him, it was something he’d probably imagined a hundred times while sitting on the bench, watching other players and waiting for his opportunity. I put my arm around him and said, ‘Listen to me. You didn’t come here by accident. You train with us every day. We know what you can do. Now everybody else has seen it.’ He was emotional, and I told him something else. ‘Don’t let tonight make you think you have to produce a goal every time you touch the ball. Just keep playing your football. That’s why you’re here.’ Because I know what’s going to happen now. People will start comparing him with other players, saying he should be starting every match, asking why he hasn’t played more. But Shea doesn’t need all that pressure. And Amad doesn’t deserve to be attacked because another player had a fantastic moment. We need both of them. We need everybody. I remember telling Shea before we left the pitch, ‘You know what the best part is?’ He asked, ‘What?’ I said, ‘Tomorrow, when you come to training, nobody is going to treat you like the little boy waiting for his chance anymore.’ He laughed. I told him, ‘They’re going to be asking you to play that pass again.’ That’s what Manchester United should be about. Young players getting opportunities, experienced players helping them, and everybody fighting for the same thing. I scored the winner tonight, yes. But when I saw Shea standing there with tears in his eyes, I realised something. For me, it was a goal I’ll remember. For him, it might be the night he finally started believing that he belongs here. And I’m very happy I got to share that moment with him.”

🚨 Cristiano Ronaldo on the dressing room that shaped his career: 🗣️ Reporter: “What do you remember about Ruud van Nistelrooy?” 🗣️ Cristiano: “When I arrived at United, I was a boy who loved having the ball. I wanted to dribble, I wanted to entertain people, and sometimes I thought beating 3 defenders was better than beating one and scoring. Then I met Ruud. I remember watching him in training and thinking, how can somebody make scoring look so simple? He wasn’t interested in doing six things before shooting. Sometimes he would touch the ball once and the goalkeeper was already picking it out of the net. There was a session when I tried to beat a defender again after I already had space to square the ball or shoot. I lost the ball. Ruud looked at me and said, ‘Cristiano, what is that?’ I told him, ‘I wanted to get closer.’ He said, ‘You were close enough.’ That stayed with me. Because when you’re young, you think the difficult thing is always the impressive thing. But Ruud could make one movement inside the penalty area, receive the ball and score. And you realise there is another kind of genius in football. I was very fortunate with the dressing room I entered. You had players who had already won everything, players who weren’t afraid to tell you when you were doing something wrong, and a manager who wasn’t interested in how talented you thought you were, but still protected you. I could have gone somewhere else at 18 and perhaps become a good player. But I don’t know whether I would have become the same Cristiano. At United, you learned very quickly that talent was only the beginning. And over the years, United have had some extraordinary finishers. Ruud was one. Robin van Persie was another. I didn’t play with Robin, but I watched him. His technique when striking the ball was beautiful. Sometimes the pass wasn’t even perfect, but the finish made it look perfect. These players had something special. They didn’t need many invitations to score. When I returned to United, I understood even more how much those early years had given me. You start recognising things you didn’t fully appreciate when you were young. I wanted the younger players to understand that wearing that shirt is an opportunity, but also a responsibility. The standards I experienced with Sir Alex helped make my career. And I will always be grateful for that.” 🗣️ Reporter: “You’ve mentioned Van Nistelrooy and Van Persie, but you haven’t mentioned Wayne Rooney. You played alongside him for years.” 🗣️ Cristiano: “Because then you are asking me a completely different question. You asked me about finishers. If you say Ruud, the first thing I think about is goals. If you say Robin, I think about that left foot, the volleys. But Wayne? Wayne could do everything. I remember games when I would be playing further forward and suddenly Wayne was defending near our penalty area. 2 minutes later, he was making a run beside me. Sometimes I would look at him and think, what position are you actually playing today? He could pass like a midfielder, shoot like a striker, carry the ball, tackle, press, create chances. You could ask him to play on the right, as a 6, even at right-back, and after 10 mins, you’d think he’d played there his whole life. That’s why I didn’t mention Wayne. Not because he wasn’t a great finisher. He was. But if I put him in a conversation only about finishing, I feel I’m leaving out most of what made him special. With Ruud, you remember the finish. With Wayne, sometimes you have to watch the entire match to understand what he did for you. I know because I was one of the players who benefited from it. People talk about what United gave me, and they’re right. But part of what United gave me was the opportunity to learn football beside the quality players they had. I arrived there wanting to show everybody what I could do with a football. I left understanding how much more there was to the game.”