Cristiano Ronaldo is an icon to fans all over the world and due to the frequent nature of the Manchester United ’s goalscoring exploits, his famous celebration has become part of the fabric of football.
Many players have copied it, but no one does it quite like him. But team-mates Jadon Sancho and Diogo Dalot gave it their best shot when the opportunity arose in their last fixture.
Ronaldo scored twice in Man United’s 3-2 win over Arsenal on Thursday at Old Trafford to put the Red Devils within four points of the top four.
The Portuguese superstar swept home from Marcus Rashford’s cutback to make it 2-1 before his penalty sealed the three points, thundering down the middle of Aaron Ramsdale’s goal.
The 36-year-old decided not to make a meal of the first goal as there was still some time left on the clock when he struck in the 52nd minute.
But after netting the game winner late on, Ronaldo sprinted to the touchline in front of roaring Man United fans and produced his trademark celebration in the corner.
As he leapt into the air and spun into a pirouette, he threw his arms down near the corner flag to complete the ‘Siuu’. Only this time, he was not alone.
Sancho and Dalot decided they would join Ronaldo and imitated his move, running in behind the veteran forward and copying the stance before the players huddled together as they celebrated.
New interim boss Rangnick, who will take charge of his first game on Sunday against Crystal Palace, was watching on from the stands after having his work permit granted.
And while the German will have been pleased to see Ronaldo score, the jury is out on whether he rates the celebration as highly as Sancho and Dalot.
The move, recognised as the ‘Siuuuu’ as it refers to the word Ronaldo utters while performing the move, is renowned worldwide and has been since the 2014 Ballon d’Or ceremony.
He famously screamed "siiiiii!" on stage at the awards after collecting the gong ahead of Lionel Messi, prompting a mixed response, with many left bewildered by the outburst.
When asked to explain the meaning behind it, Ronaldo said back in 2014 to Radio station Cuatro: "The players know I always do that shout when I score a goal or when we win.
"It’s our shout, from Real Madrid."
While it may have originated with the Spanish giants, the chant has followed him from Madrid to Juventus after leaving in 2018 and now Old Trafford.
But it is clearly popular enough for Sancho and Dalot to want to try it out for themselves. Indeed, other footballers have taken to imitating Ronaldo when they score.
in 2019, former Liverpool midfielder Marko Grujic performed his own rendition after scoring for Hertha Berlin against Schalke.
When asked for his explanation, the Serbian told Bild: ”[It was] pure emotion. I could not control it, it just happened like that.
”I look up to Ronaldo. He is a great role model for me because he works obsessively on his development."
