Manchester United, the club where Cristiano Ronaldo built a legacy that few can rival, ultimately became the place that contributed to his downfall. In life, they say you should never return to your ex, and in football, the same rule often applies. Cristiano’s second stint at Old Trafford ended in turmoil but ex-teammate Gary Neville believes things should have been different. 

It all boils down to that infamous Piers Morgan interview which set everything in motion. Ronaldo’s public criticism of the club led to United terminating his contract, two days before Portugal began their World Cup campaign against Ghana. Speaking about the situation on the ‘It’s Called Soccer’ podcast, Neville pointed out that the Al-Nassr player could have taken a more measured approach. 

“I didn’t expect him to sort of if you like, wander off the pitch at the end of the Everton game when he’d been substituted. If you remember in the early… the Brentford one was Ralph Rangnick. So I just… things like that for me are not him,” said Neville. Ronaldo had also refused to come on as a substitute during United’s 2-0 win over Tottenham, which had him suspended by the club. 

“They, for me, are points where the leader, the authority in the dressing room, stands up like Harry Kane’s done with England—speaks with authority to make sure the standards are kept,” added Neville, who believes the Portuguese star was frustrated with the level of football at United, but things could have been dealt with differently.

For a player of Cristiano’s standards, he had an incredible start during his second stint at Old Trafford. He scored a brace on his second debut against Newcastle United and fans will remember his last-gasp winner against Villarreal in the Champions League, but why did the United legend ever agree to such an interview? 

How a Piers Morgan interview was part of a bigger butterfly effect

Ronaldo was part of the side that lost 5-0 at home to Liverpool and 2-0 to City which put pressure on the then boss, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. After the Norwegian’s dismissal, Ralf Rangnick was appointed and in the interview, Ronaldo mocked Rangnick for not even being a coach. But it all came down to when Erik ten Hag took charge.

Ronaldo publicly criticized the Dutchman, the then-club owners, the Glazer family, and the younger players. Once the interview aired, it was evident that there would be an ‘immediate effect’. But if Cristiano never agreed to do such an interview, would he have been able to cross the 900-goal mark? Would he be able to reach those numbers had he stayed at United?

After the chaos ended, Saudi made a lucrative offer which the 5-time Ballon d’Or winner accepted. While Ronaldo’s goal-scoring prowess has been impressive, the competition’s standards fall short when compared to Europe, which probably makes it easier to find the back of the net. But we cannot forget all the records this man has set before deciding to leave Europe.