Paisley Daily Express

I WANT TO TAKE ON RONALDO

Saints ace McGrath wants a second chance against star

- BEN RAMAGE

St Mirren star Jamie McGrath is desperate for another chance to battle football icon Cristiano Ronaldo this evening.

The Ireland internatio­nal admits he had to get a touch of the Manchester United superstar when they clashed in September, just to check if he was real.

The 36-year-old went on to break Irish hearts after bagging a late winner in their crucial World Cup qualifying match.

Saints midfielder McGrath started that loss in the Algarve and tonight the two countries meet to do battle again, this time in Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.

McGrath is desperate to make it onto the same pitch as the

Portuguese legend as he bids to beat one of the game’s greatest ever players at the second attempt.

McGrath told Express Sport: “It’s still fresh in my mind from the last time we played Portugal.

“We will go out with the same plan and look to do what we did against them away from home.

“I thought we really competed with them over there, and with the home fans behind us at a sold out Aviva it will be a magical

night.

“I had never really thought about being on the same pitch as Ronaldo until it happened, because you never think it would.

“So coming out of the dressing room and in the tunnel, when you see him at first he looks like a giant and, obviously, a million dollars.

“He’s very tall and can jump nearly twice his height as well.

“Once it’s on the pitch it’s different, you’re just focused on the game. Although I did try to feel him at one stage just to make sure he was real!

“I knocked him over once and he fell to the deck, so I thought I’d get booked because it was Ronaldo.

“I am really looking forward to it, hopefully I can be involved and get some minutes again.

“We will do our homework. “Last time Ronaldo’s quality was too much in the end, but we ran them close.

“And this time we can only be better with the home fans on our side.

“I got an assist in the first game and I’d love to do that again if I get the chance.”

McGrath admits he feared missing out on facing the former Real Madrid goal machine again when he was forced to leave St Mirren’s clash with Rangers last month on a stretcher.

Thankfully for him and the Buddies the injury was nowhere near as serious as first feared, with the playmaker fit enough to play the Paisley club’s goalless draw with S t

Johnstone in it’s entirety just before this internatio­nal break.

Speaking about the moment he got injured, McGrath said:

“It was going through my head about the internatio­nal games, because although I didn’t know if I was in the squad at that time, you don’t want to be coming out of the frame once you’re in there.

“You want to stay in as long as you can, so that was my initial thought when it happened. It was brilliant to get ninety minutes against St Johnstone thought and I’m really looking forward to playing with Ireland again now.”

 ?? ?? Hopeful
Jamie McGrath wants to turn
out for Ireland this
evening
Hopeful Jamie McGrath wants to turn out for Ireland this evening
 ?? ??

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