“He’ll always be a club legend” - Wayne Rooney says Cristiano Ronaldo’s unceremonious exit won’t tarnish his Manchester United legacy

Manchester United icon Wayne Rooney has declared that Cristiano Ronaldo’s controversial exit in November has not taken a toll on his Old Trafford legacy.

Cristiano Ronaldo parted ways with the club by mutual consent in November, following an explosive interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan. In the interview, Ronaldo criticized coach Erik ten Hag, the club’s owners, and even his former teammate Rooney for his oft-harsh remarks. After the Red Devils released him as a free agent, Ronaldo joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr.

In an interview with CNN, Manchester United legend Rooney discussed Ronaldo’s scandalous exit, weighing in on the debate about the Portuguese superstar’s legacy in Manchester. He said (via GOAL):

“No, I think what he’s done for Manchester United is great. And he’s won Premier League titles, won the Champions League, scored many goals. So I think certainly for the fans and certainly for the players, his former team-mates who played with him from my time especially, we’ll never forget what he did for Manchester United.

“Because in my eyes, he’ll always be a club legend and it’s a shame the way it ended of course this time round. But I don’t think that takes anything away from his legacy at the club.”

Over two spells, Cristiano Ronaldo played 346 games for the club in all competitions, scoring 145 goals and claiming 64 assists. During his time, he won three Premier League titles and one Champions League, amongst other honors. He won the first of his five Ballon d’Or awards at Manchester United in 2008.

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Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly feels betrayed by former coach Carlo Ancelotti

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti stopped Cristiano Ronaldo from returning to the Santiago Bernabeu following his Manchester United exit, Catalan outlet El Nacional has claimed.

Ronaldo, who is Real Madrid’s all-time top scorer with 450 goals in 438 games, reportedly wanted to return to Madrid after parting ways with Manchester. President Florentino Perez also okayed the move, but Ancelotti kept it from happening. Cristiano Ronaldo, who played under Ancelotti for two seasons, felt betrayed by the former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) manager’s decision.

Although the reason behind Ancelotti’s stance is unknown, Karim Benzema’s success as the team’s attacking leader could be why the Italian refrained from adding Ronaldo to the mix.

It has been claimed that it was the second time Ronaldo was denied by Los Blancos. President Perez initially turned him down when he expressed his desire to join the club following his Juventus exit in 2021.