Cristiano Ronaldo Slams Younger Generation But Praises This Manchester United Player's Professionalism

Cristiano Ronaldo has singled out Diogo Dalot among Manchester United's current young players, saying he will have a long career in soccer.

Ronaldo, in his interview with Piers Morgan, slammed the current generation of soccer players, alleging they "don't care" and lack the "hunger" of his generation.

While his criticism was not restricted to just Manchester United players, he heaped praise on his countryman Dalot for his professionalism. The former Real Madrid superstar also expressed his admiration for center-back Lisandro Martinez and midfielder Casemiro.

"In Manchester United I can mention Dalot. He's young, but very professional but I don't doubt that he's going to have longevity in football because he's young, he's smart, intelligent and he's very professional. Probably Martinez, Casemiro is in his 30s, but I will say Dalot," Ronaldo told Morgan in the interview.

Ronaldo is currently with Portugal's national team in Qatar ahead of the World Cup. He will miss Portugal's upcoming friendly game against Nigeria because of a stomach bug.

In the same interview, the Portuguese skipper criticized the attitude and professionalism of young soccer players, accusing them of "not respecting" their older and more experienced teammates.

"Their hunger [is different]. I think they have things more easily, everything's easy, they don't suffer - and they don't care. I don't mean only a few in Manchester United, but all the teams in all leagues in the world, the youngsters are not the same of my generation. But you cannot blame them, because it's part of the life and the new generation, the new technologies that distract them," added Ronaldo.

The 37-year-old is widely known for his work ethic and unbelievable grit as the Madeira-born player has established himself as one of the greatest players to have ever graced the game of soccer. It is no secret that Ronaldo has trained relentlessly and as a result, the five-time Ballon d'Or has managed to have an illustrious career that began two decades ago. He has so far clinched over 900 senior caps on the club level, having scored 700+ goals.

Ronaldo has made over 1,000 professional appearances for club and country, scoring well over 800 goals.

Qatar World Cup will begin this Sunday. Portugal are in Group H, along with Ghana, Uruguay and South Korea. Portugal, who are yet to win the coveted trophy, will begin their campaign on Nov. 24 by taking on Ghana.