Cristiano Ronaldo has accused Man Utd youngsters of not listening to him (Image: Getty)

Liverpool legend John Barnes has defended Manchester United’s young players after Cristiano Ronaldo attacked them.

Ronaldo has accused the United youngsters of not listening to him or following his instructions, claiming they simply “don’t care”.

That’s the latest from his explosive interview with Piers Morgan, in which Ronaldo also lashes out at United boss Erik ten Hag, former teammates Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville and the Glazer family who own the club.

“I think the best advice… I’m not the type to give advice, I like to lead by example,” Ronaldo told Piers Morgan Uncensored.

“I’m there every morning, I do the same things, I’m probably the first to arrive and the last to leave.

“You listen to one thing and in two minutes you forget it. I like to lead by example. Some follow me, not many…

“They don’t care. Some do, but most don’t. It’s not surprising to me. They won’t last very long in their careers.”

Barnes responded to those comments, with the former Liverpool winger telling BonusCodeBets: “I never really thought it was necessary for them to do it (United brought Ronaldo back to Old Trafford).

“You did that once [Jadon] Sancho and [Marcus] You have to send the message to Rashford and other young players that you are the future, that you will be a permanent member of the team.

“And when he came back he deduced that. As you can see Rashford had a slump, Sancho had a slump and he didn’t come out when they should have been the ones to put Man Utd ahead.

“And now, of course, they’re going back to you. I thought Man Utd really should have used these young players because they are fantastic players.