Manchester United wish Cristiano Ronaldo on his 38th birthday despite unceremonious exit

Manchester United have posted birthday wishes for Cristiano Ronaldo on the forward's 38th birthday. That's despite Ronaldo's unceremonious exit from Old Trafford earlier this season.

Ronaldo had two spells at United. The Red Devils used a picture from the forward's first spell at the club with the message:

"Happy Birthday Cristiano."

United's Instagram story regarding the same can be seen below:

Ronaldo rejoined United in the summer of 2021 from Juventus. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner had a great first season on his return, ending the campaign as the club's leading goalscorer with 24 goals. Things, though, turned south very quickly in his second season under new manager Erik ten Hag.

The Portugal captain was not the first-choice forward under Ten Hag, which saw his game time dwindle during the early stages of the 2022-23 season. Ronaldo expressed his unhappiness about that in an explosive interview with Piers Morgan just before the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

In the infamous interview, Ronaldo spoke against the club's owners and Ten Hag. That prompted Manchester United to terminate his contract with immediate effect, leaving Ronaldo as a free agent.

Despite his sour exit, Ronaldo still remains a vital part of the Red Devils' modern history. The forward scored 145 goals from 346 appearances for United across competitions.

He guided the club to numerous titles under Sir Alex Ferguson, including three Premier League and a UEFA Champions League (in 2008). It, therefore, makes sense why the club wished him on his birthday despite the recent fallout.

Ronaldo is still going strong at the age of 38. The former Real Madrid and Juventus forward joined Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr on a free transfer earlier this year and has scored once in three games.

---

Cristiano Ronaldo scored just three times this season for Manchester United before his exit

Cristiano Ronaldo failed to have a huge impact during the start of the ongoing season for Manchester United. The forward managed just three goals before leaving in late 2022.

Only one of those strikes came in the Premier League. The other two were scored in the UEFA Europa League, both against Sheriff Tiraspol.

Manchester United have since replaced Ronaldo with Dutch forward Wout Weghorst. Ten Hag's side are in great form, finding themselves third in the Premier League, having amassed 42 points from 21 games.