"He's gone and it's in the past" - Erik ten Hag finally breaks silence on Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United release

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has finally broken the silence on Cristiano Ronaldo's controversial departure from Old Trafford last month. When asked about the Portuguese forward, the former Ajax boss simply dismissed the issue, choosing to focus on what lies ahead.

Speaking about managing Cristiano Ronaldo's dramatic exit amid the controversies it generated, the tactician told Manchester United's official website:

“He’s gone and it’s the past. We are now looking forward and we’re looking to the future."

Recall that Manchester United decided to end their relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo last month in the wake of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's explosive interview with Piers Morgan.

The Portuguese superstar took shots at the club's owners, manager, and teammates, as well as former colleagues in an explosive rant that set the football world ablaze.

The Red Devils responded by terminating his contract, which was confirmed in an official statement that read (via the Guardian):

"Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect. The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford, scoring 145 goals in 346 appearances and wishes him and his family well for the future."

"Everyone at Manchester United remains focused on continuing the team’s progress under Erik ten Hag and working together to deliver success on the pitch."

The Portuguese superstar also released a statement to confirm the development, reiterating his love for the club and its supporters, which read:

"Following conversations with Manchester United we have mutually agreed to end our contract early. I love Manchester United and I love the fans, that will never ever change."

"However, it feels like the right time for me to seek a new challenge. I wish the team every success for the remainder of the season and for the future."

Erik ten Hag's treatment of Ronaldo justified by player's uninspiring 2022 FIFA World Cup outing

The 37-year-old is currently representing Portugal at the 2022 FIFA World Cup

In his interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo accused Ten Hag of disrespecting him by limiting his involvement at club level. However, the Portuguese's performances at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar suggest that the United boss was right all along.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has had a largely underwhelming spell in the World Cup so far. Apart from scoring a penalty against Ghana, it is difficult to point to anything worthy of note the attacker has done in the tournament so far.

Portugal's coach Fernando Santos benched him in the knock-out tie against Switzerland yesterday (6 December). The fact that the side's finest performance in the tournament so far came with Ronaldo on the bench will have only vindicated Ten Hag.