Cristiano Ronaldo’s account of his struggles at Manchester United suggests Roy Keane may have been right about the Portugal superstar.
Cristiano Ronaldo has reflected on how his return to Manchester United went wrong, admitting that he is now a “better man” after enduring the toughest period in his career. The Portugal star conceded that he was blind to the pitfalls that have led to his decline and his admission about his self-improvement suggests that criticism from Roy Keane may have been warranted after all.
The 38-year-old left the Red Devils in acrimonious circumstances in November 2022 after firing shots at the club’s ownership and his former United teammates for criticising him in a controversial interview with Piers Morgan. In addition, he took aim at Erik ten Hag’s handling of his situation and eventually agreed to terminate his contract.
Ronaldo signed a mega two-and-a-half-year contract worth £340million with Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr as he embarked on a new adventure in the Arabian Gulf. Such a move felt inevitable when Ronaldo was cast aside by Ten Hag, with criticism of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner that his presence in the dressing room had a negative influence on the team.
Currently on international duty with Portugal ahead of their Euro 2024 qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Luxembourg, Ronaldo acknowledged that he was no longer the player he once was and his revelation that he was now “a better man” indicates he knew he had issues to solve with his character.
Cristiano Ronaldo: The Portuguese star left Man Utd in November 2022. (Image: Getty)
“Sometimes you have to go through some things to see who’s on my side,” he said to Sport TV+. “In a difficult phase, you can see who is on your side. I have no problem saying, I had a bad career run, but there’s no time for regrets.
“Life goes on and, doing well or not, it was part of my growth. When we are at the top of the mountain, we often cannot see what is below. Now I’m more prepared and that learning was important because I had never been through this, like in the last few months. Now I’m a better man.”
Some may interpret Ronaldo’s comments as a thinly-veiled dig at his former colleagues such as Roy Keane and Gary Neville, who had been honest about Ronaldo’s struggles to stay at the top of his game due to his age and attitude. While the likes of Rio Ferdinand had fiercely defended the veteran striker, Keane has pulled no punches about the Portuguese’s attitude problems during his career.
Ronaldo stormed down the tunnel long before the full-time whistle after Ten Hag left him as an unused substitute in a 2-0 win over Tottenham and was rightly condemned for his act of petulance, with United increasingly showing they were better off without him.
In another incident at the World Cup months later, Ronaldo threw a furious tantrum on the pitch after the Selecao’s former boss Fernando Santos substituted him during the 2-1 defeat to South Korea. He was then dropped for the next game, a decision supported by Keane, who claimed Ronaldo’s goals masked the disruptive influence he could have on his teammates.
“Are footballers supposed to be perfect?” Keane said to Sky Bet. “Cristiano Ronaldo had this attitude 10 years ago, but the following game he would score a hat-trick, and he was 27 – everyone would forgive him.”
Roy Keane: The Irishman said Ronaldo’s attitude was evident over the past decade (Image: Getty)
Neville also believed that Ronaldo’s fanbase contributed to Ronaldo blocking out the noise about his need to alter his behaviour after failing to change his ways, even in the latter stages of his career.
He said, as quoted by The Mirror: “There are a lot of fans of Cristiano Ronaldo that aren’t willing to tell him the truth. I think that he does need to listen to the truth and it’s becoming a little bit of a scruffy end… the petulance, stomping around, the sulking.”
The new version of Ronaldo might not be too dissimilar from the one seen in Manchester three months ago, with Ronaldo booed by fans after protesting against several referee decisions.
Cristiano Ronaldo: The 38-year-old star is back in the Portugal squad. (Image: Getty)
On the plus side, the 38-year-old has hit the ground running in the Saudi Pro League with nine goals in eight games, and it seems his coming-of-age moment of reflection has helped him rediscover his nose for goals.
Now back in the Portugal squad after being recalled by new manager Roberto Martinez, Ronaldo will captain the side in their Euro 2024 qualifying fixtures against Liechtenstein and Luxembourg and says the Spaniard’s arrival marks a “new chapter” for the national side. But many will feel it is another chance for him to have a fresh start.
Ronaldo has enjoyed two decades of enjoying being the star attraction everywhere he has played, but after his demise at United, moving outside of Europe and being dropped from the Portugal team, it is time to face reality. For Ronaldo, it marks a chance to show he has learned from the error of his ways after a difficult time on and off the pitch and prove he can accept no longer being the force he once was.
Source: express.co.uk
