Ronaldo is one of the best in football history… I will tell my children I played with him – Morata

Alvaro Morata rates the “incredible” Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the best players of all time and intends to tell his children he played alongside the Juventus forward.

Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo has scored 19 goals in 18 games in his third season with Serie A champions Juve.

Morata returned to the Allianz Stadium from Atletico Madrid on an initial loan deal last September and has chipped in with four goals and five assists in 12 league outings.

The pair also spent time together at Real Madrid and Morata says it is a pleasure linking up with the Portugal captain once again.

“It’s easy to play with him,” he told Sky Sport Italia. “I’ve known him for some time. On some occasions when a normal person wouldn’t score, he scores. 

“In Parma I gave him an assist that only he could see and understand. I understand his movements and what he likes to do. 

“I often take his men away by moving, and I think it helps him not to always have two or three players around him. It’s a pleasure to play with him.

“He is still one of the best in football history. He’s great, has incredible quality and he can play wherever he wants, whether it is as a number nine, 10 or 11. 

Altri 3 punti importantissimi! Felice di aver dato il mio contributo!pic.twitter.com/jR2IRe58sk

— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) January 10, 2021

“I can only enjoy it every day, and I hope to support him for a long time to come.

“It’s a pride for me. I grew up watching him and when I got here thinking about playing with him and [Paulo] Dybala thrilled me. 

“They are players of a higher level. We have an excellent relationship even off the pitch. I will tell my children that I played with them.”

Juventus travel to second-placed Inter on Sunday aiming to bridge a four-point gap to their opponents, whom they have a game in hand over.

As well as pitting together two Italian giants, it will also be a clash between Serie A’s two highest scorers this season – Ronaldo (15) and Romelu Lukaku (12).

The 27 goals the pair have netted between them is more than 12 Serie A clubs have netted in total this season.

Morata is looking forward to coming up against another of his former colleagues in Lukaku and hopes to swap shirts with the prolific striker after the match at San Siro.

“Romelu is one of the best strikers in the world, he is complete,” the Spaniard said. “He is also a great person, someone I like to see play. 

“At the end of the match I will ask him for the shirt as a souvenir. We will try to stop him on the field, even if it will be difficult. 

“Lautaro [Martinez] is a more versatile player, but Lukaku does things where you can’t stop him.”

Sunday’s Derby d’Italia clash will be the 175th in Serie A history, with Juve’s 84 victories in this fixture the most for a team against a single opponent in the Italian top flight.