Roy Keane has lavished praise on Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portugal international scored in his side's World Cup clash with Uzbekistan on Tuesday.
The 41-year-old netted twice in the first half as Roberto Martinez's men raced into a 3-0 lead.
Ronaldo was given the job of leading the line despite struggling against DR Congo last week.
The Al-Nassr star faced widespread scrutiny after his flat performance up top and went into the clash with added pressure on his shoulders as a result.
Lionel Messi, Ronaldo's long-term nemesis, has bagged five goals in just two World Cup outings so far.
But Keane believes there was never any reason to scrutinise Ronaldo and expressed his delight for his former Manchester United teammate, who has become the first player to score at six World Cups.
"Why would you ever doubt him? Why would you ever doubt him," Keane said.
"The guy is an amazing, amazing player and his stats are fantastic.
Roy Keane has lavished praise on Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portugal international scored in his side's World Cup clash with Uzbekistan on Tuesday
|ITV
Cristiano Ronaldo was mobbed by Portugal players after finding the net against Uzbekistan | GETTY"There's no surprises, no surprises that he turned up today. If you get good some good delivery, hang around there long enough, brilliant finish and obviously his confidence hit the roof.
"It's amazing what he's done in the world of football over the past 20 years and there's still relief for him there.
"It shows how much he cares about the game."
Ronaldo's first World Cup appearance for Portugal came all the way back in 2006, when the tournament was held in Germany.
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Five things to know about Cristiano Ronaldo | GETTY/GB NEWSHe opened his account on the global stage during that tournament, converting a penalty against Iran in the group stage at just 21 years old.
Four years later in South Africa, Ronaldo captained his country and added a goal during an emphatic 7-0 demolition of North Korea, ensuring his name remained on the scoresheet for a second consecutive tournament.
The 2014 World Cup in Brazil proved to be a frustrating campaign for Portugal as they suffered a premature group-stage exit, but Ronaldo still managed to leave his mark by scoring a late winner in a 2-1 victory over Ghana.
His most iconic individual tournament performance came in Russia in 2018.
Cristiano Ronaldo was impressive as Portugal beat Uzbekistan at the World Cup on Tuesday
| GETTYThe forward kicked off his campaign with a stunning hat-trick in a classic 3-3 draw against Spain, capped off by a dramatic late free-kick—before heading home the winner against Morocco in the following match.
In Qatar in 2022, Ronaldo made history yet again by dispatching a penalty against Ghana in Portugal's opening match, making him the first man to score in five separate World Cups.
After tonight's impressive performance, the Al-Nassr star has 10 goals to his name in total.
How many he gets by the end of the tournament is something only time will tell.
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