Nottingham Forest ace reveals key Cristiano Ronaldo advice ahead of Man United return

Anthony Elanga is excited about what the future holds at Nottingham Forest, a move he made in the belief it will help him improve as a player.

But as he prepares for a return to former club Manchester United, lessons of the past are also at the forefront of his mind. The attacker already has a bank of knowledge to build upon as he looks to continue his progress under Reds head coach Steve Cooper.

Some of the players who took Elanga under their wing during his time at Old Trafford are no longer at the club – not least Cristiano Ronaldo. The advice they passed on still rings in his ears, however.

At 21, Elanga knows he isn’t the finished article. He knows he will make mistakes. But the comforting words of Ronaldo after a missed penalty in an FA Cup shootout defeat to Middlesbrough in February 2022 taught him how to deal with such moments.

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“There was a game we played against Middlesbrough and I missed a penalty,” Elanga recalled. “He came to me straight away and told me: ‘It’s not the end of the world, I missed loads of penalties, just learn from this and you’ll improve and get better.’

“That’s something I took on board, because weeks after that I scored against Leeds and Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. It’s the little things, the little bits of advice they give to you. Ronaldo was big on that, and I appreciate him a lot for that.

“I can say that for a lot of players there. They taught me a lot on the pitch and off the pitch, and it’s something I’m extremely grateful for.

“I feel like I can’t just name one, so I’ll name a few – Fred, Bruno (Fernandes), Ronaldo when he was there, Victor (Lindelof). So many players took me under their wing and told me when I was doing things wrong, told me when I was doing things right, and just told me to remain consistent.

“They told me never get too high, never get too low and just keep improving because you’re never the finished article. You can always improve and get better, and that’s the type of mentality I have and will stick by.”

Elanga came up through the ranks at United, after his family made the move to the UK from Sweden. He made more than 50 appearances for the club, before deciding joining Forest this summer was right for his development.

He believes he can bring an ‘X-factor’ for the Reds. But his time in the north west of England also taught him the importance of the other side of the game.

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“I would say discipline,” Elanga said, when asked about the key lesson he had learnt at United. “Not just on the pitch, but off the pitch as well – what you do after training and what you do after games.

“Learning from the likes of Ronaldo, learning from the likes of Bruno and many other professionals at United, that’s one thing I take away. And doing the basics simply. That’s one thing I’ve brought with me here, doing the basics simple. And then when it’s time to show my skills, I’ve got that as well – X-factor!

“As a kid I always used to dribble and not think about the team. But growing up, at 12 or 13, you start thinking more about the team. Of course you can still have that X-factor, but it’s about doing that at the right time.”

Leaving Old Trafford was a big decision, but Elanga has quickly made a positive impression for Forest. He is pushing for a starting spot after making a difference from off the bench in his first two appearances of the season. Whether a place in the XI comes at his old stomping ground remains to be seen.

“For me, I’m young so I don’t want to be sitting on the bench all the time. I want to be playing,” he said of the move.

“That’s the same for any professional – you don’t really want to be sitting on the bench every time, you want to be playing. That’s the mentality l have got. I want to show people what I can do on the pitch. With regular minutes and consistency, I want to show what I can do.

“I feel like this season I will be able to do that. I’m ready for that. I’m ready to take that next step.

“I had been at United for nine years or so. For me now, this is the next step up and I’m ready to show what I can really do.”