Cristiano Ronaldo Put Doubters "In Their Place" With 700th Club Goal, Says Rio Ferdinand

Rio Ferdinand believes that Cristiano Ronaldo put his critics "in their place" by scoring the 700th goal of his club career.

Ronaldo became the first professional player ever to reach that landmark by netting the winner for Manchester United in Sunday's 2-1 victory at Everton.

The goal - his 144th for United - came in the 945th club appearance of his career.

Ronaldo has started just one Premier League game this season.

He was only on the pitch at Goodison Park because starting striker Anthony Martial had limped off with an injury in the 29th minute.

Ronaldo's match-winning moment arrived a quarter of an hour later when he finished clinically after been assisted by former Real Madrid teammate Casemiro.

Ronaldo looked like a relieved man after the ball hit the net at Goodison Park, having squandered multiple chances in a 3-2 Europa League win over Omonia Nicosia three days earlier.

Cristiano Ronaldo pictured celebrating after scoring his 700th club goal in Manchester United's 2-1 win over Everton

IMAGO/Sportimage/Andrew Yates

The 37-year-old was widely criticized after the game in Nicosia.

Ferdinand, who played alongside Ronaldo at Old Trafford between 2003 and 2009, was delighted to see his former teammate bounce back.

Speaking on BT Sport, Ferdinand said on Sunday night: "Class always rises at the end of the day.

"He would've been disappointed not to play from the start, and that was the talk of the town. Then he came on, was the decisive player and ended up being the match-winner.

"That chance, after what happened in the Europa League, where he missed multiple chances and you could see the frustration creeping out of his pores, a lot of players would've shied away from that chance, and maybe they would've taken another two steps and allowed a defender to get back. This guy doesn't feel that pressure."

Ferdinand added: "It's testament to somebody at the age that he's at with all that he's achieved to still have that drive and determination to go and prove people wrong.

"There are no doubts in my mind, he's not sitting there satisfied with what he's done. There's more to be done and that's crazy.

"If anyone was doubting him, he's put them in their place."