Am a better man for it — Ronaldo on leaving Man United

Portugal captain and football star Cristiano Ronaldo has broken his silence about his controversial exit from Manchester United, stating that he feels like a “better man” after going through some tough times.

Ronaldo made a sensational return to Old Trafford in 2021 after leaving Juventus and was a key player for the team under former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

In the 2021-22 campaign, Ronaldo scored an impressive 24 goals in 38 appearances for United. However, Ronaldo’s future at Old Trafford became uncertain after Erik ten Hag succeeded Ralf Ragnick as the new United manager in the summer of 2022.

The 38-year-old forward was left battling for minutes on the pitch and openly criticized Ten Hag in a bombshell interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV. Ronaldo’s contract with United was then terminated in November 2022, and he subsequently signed a lucrative deal with Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr.

Portugal manager Roberto Martinez called up the former United forward for the country’s forthcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Luxembourg.

Speaking at a press conference, Ronaldo reflected on his experiences and said, “Sometimes, you have to go through some things to see who is on my side.”

He continued,

“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 learning that was important because I had never been through this, like in the last few months. Now I’m a better man.”

Ronaldo’s future with the Portugal national team had been uncertain after Morocco knocked them out of the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals in Qatar. However, Martinez has since claimed that Ronaldo is part of his plans for Euro 2024 and the 2026 World Cup.