Cristiano Ronaldo is still good enough to win the Premier League golden boot this season despite being 36-years-old, according to former international teammate Pauleta.
Ronaldo re-joined Manchester United on deadline day from Juventus to complete a stunning return to the club after leaving 12 years prior. Since that departure he has evolved and become one of the best goalscorers of all-time, which sparked United's interest in a reunion.
Since signing, Ronaldo has scored four goals in four games including three in three in the Premier League. Pauleta was the Portugal national team all-time top goalscorer before Ronaldo and the former Paris Saint-Germain forward believes Ronaldo is still above all others and could win the Golden Boot.
Speaking to ESPN Brasil, Pauleta said: "When an 18-year-old boy plays for the national team alongside names like Deco, Figo, Rui Costa and Pauleta, he must have a unique talent. He has achieved everything thanks to his work, because in fact he is a phenomenon.
"At 18, 20 or 35 he always wanted to be the best. Even if he plays a friendly, he always wants to score more goals than everyone else. He wants to win if he plays cards or ping-pong. He is a born winner. Willpower is his quality. That's why, together with (Leo) Messi he is above all others.
"He is a goalscorer, he has the killer instinct. At the beginning of his career he was a winger because he was very fast; today, at 36, he lost a little of speed and dribbling, but his ability to score has remained intact. He could be the Premier League top scorer."
Ronaldo would be the oldest player to win the Premier League golden boot if he won it this season, beating the record of Jamie Vardy who won it in the 2019/20 season aged 33.
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