S.Jordan: CR7's behavior is unacceptable, but calling it assault is stretching

talkSPORT host Simon Jordan insists Cristiano Ronaldo should not face police action for lashing out at a young fan after losing to Everton, but should replace his phone.

And he also laughed off Ronaldo offering the Toffees supporter an invite to Old Trafford to say sorry, with the pundit responding: 'Why would anyone want to do that?!'

Video footage emerged after the Red Devils' 1-0 defeat appearing to show Ronaldo swiping a fan's phone out of their hand as he left the pitch at Goodison Park.

The device then appears to collide with the floor and then bounce up off the surface at Goodison Park.

Sarah Kelly, the mother of the 14-year-old fan who phone was damaged by Ronaldo, accused the Portuguese star of 'assaulting' her son, with Merseyside Police investigating the incident, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Ronaldo later apologised on Instagram following the incident.

“It's never easy to deal with emotions in difficult moments such as the one we are facing,” he wrote in a post on social media.

“Nevertheless, we always have to be respectful, patient and set the example for all the youngsters who love the beautiful game.

“I would like to apologise for my outburst and, if possible, I would like to invite this supporter to watch a game at Old Trafford as a sign of fair-play and sportsmanship.”

Former Crystal Palace owner Jordan had his say on the matter when speaking to both Jim White and Danny Murphy on talkSPORT.

“I think we need to be careful with using the word assault”, he said on the White and Jordan show.

“What you have seen is a player behave petulantly… we need to be careful how we categorise things.

“It was inappropriate from [Cristiano] Ronaldo, whatever fit or peak he is in, whatever he is not used to. He is not used to playing in teams which lose in the manner Manchester United do, he has not played his career in teams that lose like this, but he has time to get used to this.

“You don't ever get used to being a loser, if you have been the winner all your life, do you? So, his behaviour is unacceptable.

“He should absolutely apologise. He should buy the kid a new phone. These are things you should want to do, because, ultimately, you have behaved badly for a moment.

“But, to take it in to an assault, and take it up the gears and take it in to some idea that football players are bringing the game in to disrepute, I think it is stretching it a little bit.

“This is a player who has reacted poorly, who probably did not even focus on what he was doing, probably just pushed it away, and ultimately what has happened is a kid's phone has been pushed on to the floor.

“There is no excuse where someone as iconic in people's minds [should do something like this]. This is someone so used to this that he should be able to rise above it.

“What was it really? It was a stupid and petulant act, did he mean to do what he did, he was it a lash out without really thinking? Did he know it was a child?

“He knocked a kid's phone out of his hand, it's unacceptable behaviour and he should be consequenced, reprimanded, I think he should apologise to the kid and replace his property.

“But when we start elevating to assault… I think that diminishes what assault actually is.”

And, finally, when asked about Ronaldo's invite to the Everton fan to watch a United game at Old Trafford to say sorry, Jordan added:

“That's just adding insult to injury, because who would want to do that?

“That's a punishment!”