Cristiano Ronaldo’s Homecoming: Sir Alex Ferguson pulled off a ‘Fergie Time’ to steal the deal

Cristiano Ronaldo is back at Manchester United. This is largely due to a phone call from the boss, Sir Alex Ferguson.

It is a homecoming that football fans had dreamt of but never expected. The Portuguese superstar has made one of the most sensational comebacks in the history of football.

However, Ronaldo homecoming was a bit more complicated than it seemed. Days before the transfer, media all over Europe reported that Cristiano Ronaldo was closing in on a transfer to Manchester City.

It was upsetting news for Manchester United fans. Cristiano Ronaldo playing under Pep Guardiola in a City shirt is just something that did not sit right with the Red Devils faithful.

Cristiano Ronaldo's relationship with Sir Alex

One particular Manchester United fan was against the idea - Sir Alex, and he changed everything. Everyone knows just how good of a relationship Cristiano Ronaldo has with Sir Alex Ferguson. Ferguson is the man who first signed him for Manchester United and nurtured him to become the star that he is today.

Manchester United v Chelsea - UEFA Champions League Final

In an interview with Sky Sports back in 2009, Cristiano Ronaldo had said:

“Sir Alex Ferguson is my second father. He has helped me improve enormously.”

According to multiple reports, Ferguson had been trying to convince United to bring back Ronaldo for years. So when the Scottish legend saw that the Portuguese was close to joining United’s bitter rival, his blood ran cold.

How Sir Alex made the difference

According to the Manchester Evening News, Sir Alex had made a call to Cristiano Ronaldo with just one goal in mind. It was to tell him that he was making the wrong choice and that he had to choose United over City. To do so, Sir Alex had to find the right words to convince Ronaldo, which he indeed did.

Ferguson also used his good relationship with Jorge Mendes, Ronaldo's agent, to push him towards a move to Manchester United. Minutes later, United entered the race for Ronaldo. Thanks to the legendary manager, the Red Devils came in at the last minute and pulled off a ‘Fergie time’ to steal the deal.

🇵🇹🔴 𝗩𝗜𝗩𝗔 𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗗𝗢 🔴🇵🇹🏡 @Cristiano is back!#MUFC | #RonaldoReturns

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 31, 2021

Former United defender Rio Ferdinand, during an interview, confirmed that Sir Alex’s call played a crucial role in Cristiano Ronaldo's decision. He told the Sun:

“Sir Alex, he played a massive part. Cristiano Ronaldo and Sir Alex have got a bond that very few players get to have in their career with a manager. There was no way Cristiano Ronaldo would be coming to Man United without speaking to Sir Alex Ferguson. Simple as that.”

A fairytale ending

Now that he is a United player, there is no doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo is going to be a key player in Ole Gunnar Sloskjaer’s system. Ronaldo's arrival has made United a serious contender for the Premier League title this season.

Sir Alex Ferguson has made a legend out of Cristiano Ronaldo and has now brought the prodigal son back home. A fairytale ending for all football lovers.

Ronaldo had scored 118 goals in 292 games in his first spell with the club. Only time will tell how many more he will add this time.