Cristiano Ronaldo pipped by ex-Man Utd flop in Saudi Pro League Team of the Season | OneFootball

Cristiano Ronaldo has been omitted from the Saudi Pro League team of the season, though a former Manchester United striker leads the line instead.

The former Real Madrid ace joined Al-Nassr back in January when his contract with United was terminated.

An explosive interview with Piers Morgan meant that the Old Trafford club had no option but to show Ronaldo the door mid-way through the season.

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However, the 38-year-old did enjoy a free-scoring stint in front of goal for his new club as he scored 14 times in 16 league outings.

Despite his incredible goal-scoring exploits, Al Ittihad were crowned Saudi Pro League champions as Ronaldo’s side came in second place.

Despite only playing for the Saudi outfit for half of the season, the 198-cap Portugal international’s goals placed him fifth in the league’s top goalscorer charts.

Even so, that record wasn't enough for Ronaldo to get into the Saudi Pro League Team of the Season - with Al Hilal's Odion Ighalo leading the line in his absence.

Ighalo features ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League Team of the Season

Ighalo failed to score a single goal in England when plying his trade for the 13-time Premier League champions.

But his fortunes have changed since his move to Saudi Arabia.

The Nigerian striker scored 19 times for third-placed Al Hilal, which secured him a spot in the XI.

Joining him up top were Al Fateh duo Firas Al-Buraikan and Mourad Batna, who scored 17 and 10 goals, respectively.

The champions Al-Ittihad featured five players, which included Romarinho, Ahmed Hegazi, Ahmed Sharahili, Madallah Al-Olayan and Marcelo Grohe.

Former Bayern Munich midfielder Luiz Gustavo made the cut and was joined by his Al-Nassr teammate Ghislain Konan at left-back, who boasted an impressive 8.9 match rating on average.

The Saudi Pro League Team of the Season in full

Ronaldo’s comments about the Saudi Pro League

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, after completing his first season in the Middle East, has shone a positive light on the league, claiming that it could become one of the best in the world.

“I am happy here, I want to continue here, I will continue here. And in my opinion, if they continue to do the work that they want to do here, for the next five years, I think the Saudi league can be a top five league in the world.

“I will be part of your world, your culture, I will be here, I hope I make the people enjoy through my games, my performances, and to win things, but again, thank you for welcoming me, and I will try to give my best during the time that I will be here.

“I like to do what I do. My passion is to play football. I have played it for many, many years, but it is still a joy for me. My motivation is to play and to make people happy. To make myself happy, my family happy and all the kids happy. This is my goal.”