‘Class always rises’ – Rio Ferdinand and Joe Cole laud Cristiano Ronaldo for milestone goal in Everton win

Ronaldo was introduced midway through the first half in place of the injured Anthony Martial, and scored his landmark goal with a fine left-footed finish which ultimately proved to be the difference at Goodison Park.

Ferdinand joked that the WhatsApp group containing a number of former United players under Sir Alex Ferguson will be full of Ronaldo talk.

“Class always rises at the end of the day,” Ferdinand told BT Sport.

“He would’ve been disappointed not to play from the start, and that was the talk of the town. Then he came on, was the decisive player and ended up being the match-winner.

“That chance, after what happened in the Europa League, where he missed multiple chances and you could see the frustration creeping out of his pores.

“A lot of players would’ve shied away from that chance, and maybe they would’ve taken another two steps and allowed a defender to get back. This guy doesn’t feel that pressure.

“Those chances are gone now, ‘I’m here, to do a job’. It’s testament to somebody at the age that he’s at with all that he’s achieved to still have that drive and determination to go and prove people wrong. There are no doubts in my mind, he’s not sitting there satisfied with what he’s done. There’s more to be done and that’s crazy.”

“If anyone was doubting him, he’s put them in their place. In the WhatsApp group, we’ll be talking.”

Former Chelsea midfielder, Cole also lauded the Portugal captain and dismissed suggestions that Ronaldo could be a disruptive influence at the club. He also believes the performance showed plenty of resilience from a United team that has faced plenty of criticism in recent months.

“Of course he’s not a problem; he’s handled it excellently from the outside looking in,” he added.

“You judge a player by what he does on the pitch. When he comes off the bench, he does what Ronaldo does. He stretches teams, scores goals and makes things happen.

“This group of players’ integrity and professionalism was questioned after the Manchester derby. But in the last five minutes showed a lot of personality and character to defend what they did. There was a lot of character from Manchester United.”

Ronaldo may have taken the headlines on Merseyside, but Casemiro was awarded the man-of-the-match award and Ferdinand highlighted the Brazilian’s importance to Erik ten Hag’s side.

“The positions he took up didn’t allow Everton’s players to play balls into forward positions – that’s what you need in this team.

“You need someone in this league to martial that space in front and not give away opportunities, he’s there to plug gaps.

“He has so much knowledge and experience. He grew into the game and showcased what he can do.”