"Free as a bird" - Piers Morgan reveals what Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo texted him after Manchester United exit 

TV personality Piers Morgan has revealed Cristiano Ronaldo's reaction to Manchester United terminating his contract. The journalist claims the Portuguese star told him he was free as a bird in response to his text.

Ronaldo's contract with Manchester United was terminated by mutual consent. The club were keen on cutting ties with the forward after his explosive interview with Morgan last month.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Morgan revealed that he texted a GIF of William Wallace shouting 'freedom' soon after Manchester United announced their decision to terminate Ronaldo's contract.

The journalist claims the forward responded with a 'free as a bird' text and said:

"I texted Cristiano a GIF of William Wallace in Braveheart shouting: 'Freedom!'. He thought that was a perfect summation of how he felt. 'Free as a bird' was his response."

Speaking about Ronaldo's next possible move, he said:

"He thinks that if he does well at this World Cup, he'll get what he really wants, which is a club in the Champions League that extends his record and his legacy. It's not about money at this stage of his career. It comes down to a burning desire to play football at the highest level, to break records and win trophies. And he has done that in more countries than any other player in history."

Manchester United terminated Cristiano Ronaldo's contract

Cristiano Ronaldo took shots at the Manchester United owners, board, and manager in his explosive interview with Piers Morgan last month.

The Portuguese star was not happy with his treatment at the club and believed that he was betrayed. Just before heading to the FIFA World Cup, Ronaldo said:

"The fans are always right, the fans should know the truth. They should know that we, the players, want the best for the club. I want the best for the club, this is why I came to Manchester United, I love this club.

"But you have some things inside the club which don't help Manchester United reach the top level like Manchester City, Liverpool and even now Arsenal for example, which is complicated. It's difficult. It's hard. In my opinion it will be hard for Manchester United to be at the top of the game in the next two-three years."

Cristiano Ronaldo has not enjoyed a good FIFA World Cup so far, as he has managed to score just once in the group stages. He started all three matches, and his only goal came from the penalty spot in the first match against Ghana.