Ronaldo has had to adapt to being used sparingly this campaign, having been the main man at Real Madrid and Juventus over the past few years. He was also the main man at Old Trafford as recently as last term, when he notched 24 goals in all competitions, but he hasn’t gelled with new manager Ten Hag.
That much was made public when part of Ronaldo’s interview surfaced earlier this week, during which he claimed to not respect the Dutchman. Friction was abundantly clear during the Red Devils’ 2-0 home win over Spurs in October, when Ten Hag signalled to Ronaldo with just three minutes remaining.
Instead of attempting to prove his point with an effective cameo, the Portuguese refused to come on and stormed down the tunnel in disgust before leaving the stadium altogether. Many former United stars were quick to condemn his conduct, but Ronaldo has explained that he is simply ‘not that kind of player’.
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Ten Hag seems to agree, limiting Ronaldo to just four Premier League starts and a handful of appearances in Europe. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner appears to have burned his bridges with United ahead of the January transfer window, when he is widely expected to find a new club.
Reports indicate that the Red Devils would be willing to rip up his contract once the window swings open, providing they do not have to pay off his lucrative wage package. Rumours of tension between Ronaldo and Ten Hag began to emerge as early as pre-season, when the veteran forward left Old Trafford before the full-time whistle in a match against Rayo Vallecano.
Ronaldo has issued a half-hearted apology in response to the incident, during which he claimed to have been unfairly singled-out by the media as several team-mates also followed him out of the stadium.
“Me and eight players [left], but they mentioned only my name,” he added. “Everyone does that. Last year, many players did the same. In that game eight players did the same but they only speak about the black sheep which is me. I completely understand, okay, it’s done, I apologise to the coach and for me, the chapter was closed.”
Watch Piers Morgan Uncensored: 90 Minutes with Ronaldo at https://watch.talk.tv/ or www.youtube.com/piersmorganuncensored