Burkina Faso
Czech Republic
Hungary
Lithuania
Montenegro
Nigeria
United Arab Emirates

'Ronaldo eventually gave in!' - Townsend pestered Man Utd star for No.7 shirt after copying his Siu celebration

goal.com, 4 October 2021, 12:50
The Everton winger has revealed what he said to the five-time Ballon d'Or winner after following him towards the Old Trafford tunnel

Andros Townsend has admitted to pestering Cristiano Ronaldo for his No.7 shirt after copying his Siu celebration during Everton's 1-1 draw with Manchester United.

Townsend made headlines after scoring Everton's equaliser at Old Trafford on Saturday as he celebrated by running over to the corner flag and copying Ronaldo's trademark goal celebration.

The Portuguese superstar appeared to storm off angrily towards the tunnel after the final whistle, with Townsend seen trying to talk to him before his exit, and the Toffees winger has now revealed the details of their brief conversation.

What's been said?

"I made it my goal that I was not leaving Old Trafford without Cristiano Ronaldo's shirt," Townsend told talkSPORT. "You saw after the final whistle, I ran straight to him, I don't know what he was muttering but it wasn't English.

"He was muttering in Portuguese and I asked him three or four times for his shirt and eventually he gave in and said he would give it to me inside.

"I had to wait inside the dressing room and thankfully the kit man was able to sort it for me. That shirt I am going to keep with me."

Townsend relieved Ronaldo didn't make him 'look silly'

Townsend insisted that he only copied Ronaldo's celebration out of "respect" for a long-time idol, but has now confirmed that the gesture was pre-planned with the rest of the Everton squad during their journey to Manchester.

The 30-year-old has also expressed his relief over the fact that Ronaldo didn't have the final say on proceedings at Old Trafford, with the five-time Ballon d'Or coming on for the final half-hour of the game after starting on the bench.

"We were discussing it on the coach the day before on the way up to Manchester. The boys were saying, 'would you do it if you scored?'" Townsend added.

"I said yeah, but the one thing they said was make sure you are winning or it is late in the game, so Ronaldo doesn't have a chance to reply.

"I got a bit carried away, almost buckled and fell on my back, I looked up at the clock and it was 65 minutes. I gave the greatest player half an hour to make me look silly and score the winner. Thankfully he didn't.

"[I went] very early, every ball that went into the box I thought 'he was going to make me look a complete fool'. Thankfully we held out for the point in the end."

Show more

Top News

22 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Battling for a place in League B of the UEFA Nations League, Georgia are set to host Armenia at the Boris Paichadze Stadium for the second leg of their playoff on Sunday. 22 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool have reportedly been alerted to the possibility of signing Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi in a cut-price deal. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber has become the latest Arsenal player to withdraw from his national team. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Brazil will be forced to contend with numerous absentees against Argentina following their 2-1 victory against Colombia on Friday morning. 21 March 2025 talksport.com Thomas Tuchel hasn't been shy in calling out Phil Foden and Marcus Rashford's displays from England's 2-0 victory over Albania on Friday night. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City Women will face Chelsea Women in the third of four consecutive head-to-head matches in Sunday's clash at the Etihad Stadium. 21 March 2025 talksport.com Myles Lewis-Skelly was the star of the show on his England debut as his goal helped new boss Thomas Tuchel get off to a winning start. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arne Slot could lose a number of forwards in the summer transfer window but may also be boosted by the arrival of additions, Reds transfer expert David Lynch has claimed. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Thomas Tuchel started his England tenure with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Albania in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Turkey will hope to maintain their first-leg lead and advance into League A of the UEFA Nations League on Sunday when they travel to Puskas Arena to take on Hungary. 21 March 2025 talksport.com Myles Lewis-Skelly created England history by becoming the youngest player to score on their senior debut for the national team. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Canada can earn their second medal at the CONCACAF Nations League on Sunday when they take on the USA at SoFi Stadium in California. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk England debutant Myles Lewis-Skelly wrote a new page of Three Lions history with his opening goal in Friday's World Cup 2026 qualifier against Albania. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Leicester City Women will continue their Women's Super League survival bid when they face Brighton & Hove Albion Women in Sunday's clash at the King Power Stadium. 21 March 2025 talksport.com Jude Bellingham has moved ahead of Wayne Rooney in the England record books by earning his latest cap against Albania. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Iceland and Kosovo will complete their UEFA Nations League promotion/relegation playoff tie on Sunday, when they meet at the Estadio Nueva Condomina in Spain. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United defender Ayden Heaven could reportedly resume training with the Red Devils shortly after the international break, with the issue that he suffered against Leicester City last weekend not believed to be serious. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Pau Cubarsi has returned to Barcelona after suffering an ankle injury in Spain's UEFA Nations League quarter-final first leg against Netherlands on Thursday night. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk West Ham United Women will welcome Tottenham Hotspur Women to the Chigwell Construction Stadium for Sunday's Women's Super League clash. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk England boss Thomas Tuchel has named his first starting lineup as Three Lions boss for Friday's World Cup 2026 qualifier against Albania. 21 March 2025 talksport.com Riccardo Calafiori has reportedly given Arsenal a major boost with his knee injury not claimed to be serious. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson is reportedly set to hold 'crunch talks' with the Reds hierarchy over his future at the end of the season. 21 March 2025 talksport.com Follow all the action as Thomas Tuchel takes charge of his first game as England manager against Albania, live on talkSPORT. 21 March 2025 talksport.com Follow all the action as Thomas Tuchel takes charge of his first game as England manager against Albania, live on talkSPORT. 21 March 2025 talksport.com England made a winning start to life under Thomas Tuchel on Friday night as they beat Albania 2-0 at Wembley. 21 March 2025 talksport.com Chelsea's first opponents at this summer's Club World Cup have been expelled from the competition, FIFA has announced. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have reportedly learned how long Riccardo Calafiori will be out for with a knee injury following the defender's withdrawal from the Italy squad. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Ruben Amorim has been told that Brighton & Hove Albion winger Kaoru Mitoma has the quality to play for Manchester United. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool have confirmed that Alisson Becker has pulled out of the Brazil squad after the goalkeeper suffered a worrying injury scare against Colombia. 21 March 2025 talksport.com There were huge smiles at Wembley commentary with Stuart Pearce returning to action after his heart scare.