Everton attacker Andros Townsend has taken to social media to reveal why he was seen in conversation with Cristiano Ronaldo after his club’s draw with Manchester United.
The former Newcastle and Crystal Palace winger managed to secure the renowned forward’s shirt after the game, with Townsend taking to Instagram to showcase his securing of a match-worn CR7 jersey.
Townsend went viral for imitating the forward’s trademark celebration when he slotted beyond the United defence to secure an equaliser in the 1-1 draw but made clear that he has the utmost respect for Ronaldo.
In his Instagram caption, Townsend declared that he has “nothing but respect to the 
”, with his emojis signalling his belief that Ronaldo is the greatest footballer of all time.
He posted a series of images from the game, including his goal celebration, before tacking on a picture of the shirt he secured in the final slide.
As quoted by the Liverpool Echo, Townsend even revealed that Ronaldo was not so receptive to offering the winger his shirt, initially grumbling in his native language about the result before the United kitman made arrangements to sort out Townsend’s situation.
“I made it my goal that I was not leaving Old Trafford without Cristiano Ronaldo’s shirt,” the winger revealed.
“You see after the final whistle, I literally ran straight to him, I don’t know what he was muttering but it wasn’t English.
“He was muttering in Portuguese and I’ve literally asked him three or four times for his shirt, and eventually he said he’d give it to me inside.
“Then I had to wait inside the dressing room and thankfully the kit man was able to sort it for me. I was stood outside and I wasn’t leaving!
“I know he didn’t want to give it to me but it’s Cristiano Ronaldo, I needed that shirt!”
Read Everton Verdict
At both a personal and a team level, it was a good day to be Andros Townsend.
He is swiftly endearing himself to his fans and his teammates alike as he proves to be an integral cog in an Everton machine.
