‘Cristiano? He’s amazing!’

Real Madrid icon Emilio Butragueno has heaped praise upon Cristiano Ronaldo after his hat-trick in the win over Athletic Bilbao.

The goals were Ronaldo’s 11th, 12th and 13th of the season so far and his third hat-trick in his last four League games.

He also equalled a League record of 22 hat-tricks, held by Telmo Zarra and Alfredo Di Stefano, with Butragueno running out of superlatives for the Portugal captain.

“We’re tired of being surprised by him. He’s amazing,” he said, AS reports.

“He’s scored three goals but could have had six.

“Ronaldo is a world star but behaves like a rookie with his professionalism and dedication. He’s an example.”

Ronaldo wasn’t the only Madrid player to catch the eye of Butragueno, who also commended the team as a whole.

“[Karim Benzema] had a great game even without the two goals,” he continued.

“James [Rodriguez] also had a complete game. And [Gareth] Bale, whose contribution was remarkable.

“It was the most complete match of the season, starting in defence. The game was very fluid, with all players showing great technical ability.

“The result wasn’t in doubt. [Goalkeeper Gorka] Iraizoz was Athletic’s best player. This is what the fans want to see.”

Butragueno however warned against getting only excited about Madrid’s form, particularly as the international break has the potential to cause problems for the team.

“We need to be calm. The players now have 10 days and must be prepared for the games to come,” he insisted.

“Hopefully everyone comes back healthy.

“We have constant challenges and we must be united. Then we will be stronger and so we must continue.”

Tags Cristiano Ronaldo
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