Fans were in shock when Everton man Andros Townsend copied Cristiano Ronaldo's iconic SIIIUUU celebration at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Townsend scored the equaliser as the Manchester United game ended 1-1. What was first thought of as mockery later turned into admiration as the 30-year-old explained his actions.
In the post-match interview with BT Sport, he said: "You know what, there's no disguising he's my idol. I grew up watching Cristiano Ronaldo, spent hours on the training pitch trying to execute his techniques.
"Maybe I should've tried harder with the celebration because it wasn't great execution.
"It was a bit of respect to Cristiano. It's an honour to be on the same field as him."
It doesn't end here - after the full-time whistle, Ronaldo was spotted furiously walking towards the tunnel. Townsend is seen approaching the 36-year-old and they exchange a few words before the latter keeps walking.
Later, Townsend revealed on Instagram that he'd succeeded in swapping shirts with his 'idol'!
