Gary Neville gives theory on Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United exit
29.09.2023 - 14:09
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Former captain Gary Neville believes Cristiano Ronaldo's failure to 'adapt' during his second spell at Manchester United played a massive contribution to his exit last year.
After sealing a fairytale return to Old Trafford in August 2021, putting pen to paper on a two-year contract, the Portuguese international left for a second time last November, following an explosive interview with Piers Morgan. In his bombshell chat with the TV presenter, Ronaldo heavily criticised the club, the Glazer family and manager Erik ten Hag.
Prior to the interview, which was aired just before the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Ronaldo was already treading a fine line at Old Trafford, having refused to step off the bench during United's 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in October. Instead, he stormed down the tunnel and was temporarily banished from the first-team squad.
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The 38-year-old did return to the squad prior to his exit and scored in the 3-0 win over FC Sheriff in the Europa League eight days after his refusal to come on against Spurs. And for Sky Sports pundit Neville, who played with Ronaldo in his first stint in M16, his refusal to adjust led to his departure.
"I think he did very well in terms of goals," Neville told MARCA. "He has a character and a personality in which he does not accept second place.
"I criticised him because my opinion is that, when you are a leader in the locker room and you are a leader in world football, there are different ways of teaching, different ways of mentoring and different ways of coaching the younger players on the team who are not at your