Southampton defender Jose Fonte has declared that teammate Gaston Ramirez reminds him of a young Cristiano Ronaldo.
Fonte played with Ronaldo at Sporting Lisbon and believes that Ramirez has the talent to reach a similar level in the Premier League as the Portuguese forward.
He told the Daily Star: "When Cristiano was 16 and I was 17 we played together at Sporting Lisbon. He was already a special talent.
"When you play against players like him, you can only improve. In terms of quality, Gaston is right up there with the best. His technique, his control, his use of the ball and his understanding of the game is different to anyone else in the team. He gives us something else.
"He is a different type of player to Ronaldo but creativity-wise, Gaston is up there. He is only 21 and knows he has to keep working hard to improve, but he will be a great player in this league, just like Ronaldo was."
Ramirez has returned from compassionate leave following a family bereavement to make the Saints squad for today's match at home to Reading.
Liam Power
