Cristiano Ronaldo will be a force in the Premier League for years to come, says Teddy Sheringham.
The Portuguese was snapped up from Juventus for £12.85 million last month, having left the club 12 years earlier.
He was 36 years old and signed a two year deal, with an option to extend for another year.
Ronaldo was hot on the mark, scoring a brace in Newcastle. He also scored the opening goal against Young Boys in Tuesday’s Europa League.
Sheringham, who is 40 years old, and has been playing in Premier League matches for 272 days, holds the record for oldest outfield player to be featured in a match. Sheringham thinks that the veteran forward will be capable of maintaining his form.
“I think he can keep it up,” Sheringham said.
“Once you get past 36, with the ups and downs of the Premier League, it’s tough being kicked and getting yourself up for the next game.
“He knows the basics and can score goals. It’s going be all right.
“The main thing when you get to 33 or 34 is to make sure that you’re not carrying any weight – and he’s definitely not doing that.
“He hasn’t suffered any serious injuries, and he still wants to succeed.
Ronaldo can he achieve more greatness at Man United over the next few years? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.
“Those three things are massive if you want to carry on playing.
“It’s got nothing to do with the money. He wants to get the best out of himself and his career.
“I can see him carrying on like this throughout the season, next season and possibly even until he’s 39 as well.”
In addition to Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho was drafted in from Borussia Dortmund for £73 million and Raphael Varane cost £34 million from Real Madrid this summer.
Sheringham isn’t convinced that the large spending will be sufficient.
“I don’t know if it makes them genuine title contenders, it’s a lot to do with the manager as well,” he added.
“You’re coming up against other very good managers, who also have very good teams.
“Thomas Tuchel has been a great help to Chelsea. We all know a lot about Jurgen Klopp. I also love Pep Guardiola.
“You’ve got to get Ole Gunnar Solskjaer up to that level. He’s got the talent in his squad to match them player for player, but that little fine-tuning from the manager could be the difference for me.”
Sheringham was speaking at Maurice Newman’s charity Golf Day in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital. Visit www.gosh.org