Man Utd stars told to "shut up" and "listen" to Ronaldo by former teammate Saha

Manchester United's players should "shut up" and "listen" to Cristiano Ronaldo, according to former teammate Louis Saha.

Ronaldo, who sensationally came back to Old Trafford last summer, has admitted his disappointment with the return and demanded the Red Devils improve their mentality.

Saha firmly agrees with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner and says the United players in question need to "be humble."

"If any player has the right to speak his mind in the dressing room, it is Cristiano Ronaldo," the Frenchman, who shared a dressing room with Ronaldo for five years, told Genting Casino.

"Many of these young players have yet to make their mark in the game. They haven't proved anything. They may have a few international caps, but what have they won?"

One thing Saha did admit is that the Red Devils could be intimated by the 36-year-old's presence, adding: "It's like if you're not intimidated by your god, you have no respect.

"I'm not saying that the players should consider him a god, but he will be remembered as one of the best players the world has ever seen."

The ex-United striker then went on to say: "As a player, if you can't take criticism, that's not normal, because he is only saying it to help players improve. He wants to win trophies while he's there and he knows how to do it, so the players must listen to him.

"If the players don't respect what he's saying, that's not normal. They should be listening. They should be taking in every bit of advice because the guy has been successful throughout his career. The players need to sacrifice to improve.

"They should be like, 'Hang on a minute – let me try this for six months. I'll try to do as much as he does. If I'm tired after sixty minutes maybe the next week I'm ready to play seventy'."

Ronaldo is often criticised for 'making it all about him', but Saha sees a different side to his antics - such as Wednesday's outburst at at Brentford.

Ronaldo and Saha played together for five years ( Image: 2006 Manchester United)

"He was a worker. He was someone that was dedicated to win," he stated. "It's not about him, and he wouldn't bully someone to appear strong. No, no, no – he wanted to win. These United players need to ask themselves, 'Do they want to be a winner like him?'

"If so, they need to listen to him, they need to be as dedicated as him in training, they need to focus on improving week on week. They need to be humble, work hard and shut up."