'Sour' end to Cristiano Ronaldo's Man Utd career left Ole Gunnar Solskjaer emotional as ex-Man Utd boss insists he made the 'right decision' when re-signing club legend from Juventus

Ronaldo completed a sensational return to United from Juventus on the final day of the 2021 summer transfer window, 11 years on from his initial departure to Real Madrid. The Portuguese made a strong start to his second spell at Old Trafford, notably scoring two goals against Newcastle on his homecoming appearance, but results took a turn for the worse and Solskjaer was sacked after a dismal defeat at Watford that November.

Ronaldo finished the 2021-22 season with 24 goals to his name across all competitions, but he fell out of favour after Erik ten Hag was drafted in as Solskjaer's permanent successor. A lack of regular minutes eventually led to Ronaldo criticising the Dutch manager in a controversial interview with Piers Morgan, and United subsequently agreed to terminate his contract.

Solskjaer still believes bringing Ronaldo back to United was the "right decision", as he said while speaking on a tour of India at the weekend. “Cristiano wanted to leave Juventus but we didn’t think it was possible to bring him back. We had built a squad without Cristiano,” Solskjaer said, as per Times of India. “And then when this opportunity came, I think everyone in the world thought it’s going to be fantastic. And he had a good season. I think he scored 28 goals. I love Cristiano’s professional attitude. But it didn’t work out for him. It didn’t work out for me. It didn’t work out for the team, unfortunately. But at that moment, it was the right decision to welcome him back to Old Trafford. That’s life. We made a decision.”

The former United striker added: "His first outing on return was against Newcastle. I think there have not been many days at Old Trafford that have seen a better vibe. And it was an unbelievable thing. So, it’s about giving people memories. That’s a memory for everyone who was there, and that he came back after having been the best player in the world for so many years.

“So, unfortunately, after I left, it turned sour with Cristiano. It was sad to see from the outside.”

A month after leaving United, Ronaldo sealed a surprise move to Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner signed a lucrative deal that sparked an exodus of top European talent to the Middle East, with the likes of Karim Benzema and Neymar following in his footsteps. Ronaldo has hit 30 goals for Al-Nassr in all competitions already this season, and has his sights set on Saudi Pro League and AFC Champions League glory.