Manchester United icon Gary Neville expressed his regret over how Cristiano Ronaldo’s second stint at the club ended in an interview with Marca.
Ronaldo’s departure from the Red Devils occurred in November 2022, following a mutual agreement, after he gave an outspoken interview with Piers Morgan.
In that interview, he openly criticised both United and manager Erik ten Hag.
“I wish it hadn’t ended like that,” Neville said. “I wish he had stayed, and they had found a way to cope with each other until the end of the season. But it became impossible once he did the interview with Piers Morgan. It was so public at the time that there was only one outcome.”
Neville was very critical of Ronaldo and his lack of proactive leadership during his last stint at Old Trafford.
“I love Cristiano; he probably doesn’t love me for what I said,” he said. “But I would like to think that in five to 10 years he will understand that my comments came from a good place. I wanted him to understand that when you get to 35 or 36, the younger players in the locker room and the less talented players rely on you to take them with you; that there are different ways to be a mentor, a coach and a father in some ways.
“He is still my favourite player of all time and the one I like the most when I talk about who is the greatest of all time. I know that many people would say [Lionel] Messi, but I love Cristiano.”