Cristiano Ronaldo, who exited Manchester United under controversial circumstances, could still have an open path back to Old Trafford, says former United forward Teddy Sheringham.
As reported by Mirror UK, Sheringham believes Ronaldo would receive a warm welcome if he ever wished to return, especially with fellow Portuguese Ruben Amorim set to take over as manager.
Ronaldo’s much-anticipated return to United in 2021 was initially hailed as a fairytale comeback. However, his stint quickly unraveled, ending after a widely publicized interview with Piers Morgan that prompted his move to Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.
Now a major star and top scorer in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo has embraced this new chapter in his career.
Despite previous tensions, Sheringham feels that with Amorim—a former teammate of Ronaldo’s on the Portugal national team—joining as manager, a return could be possible.
“Cristiano Ronaldo would be very welcome back at Manchester United under Ruben Amorim. But he is onto bigger and better things. I think Ronaldo will follow in the path of David Beckham, doing higher-profile things worldwide rather than coaching,” Sheringham told FlashScore.
While Sheringham sees a potential return as a possibility, he also acknowledges that Ronaldo, at 39, may choose to finish his career elsewhere.
Furthermore, Sheringham does not foresee Ronaldo pursuing a coaching role at Old Trafford.
“I’m sure he’d be very, very welcome in any capacity coming back to the
club, but I doubt that he’ll be a coach,” Sheringham added.
Ronaldo himself has hinted at an aversion to coaching, revealing on his YouTube channel, UR, that he lacks passion for guiding the current generation.“
For me, it will be difficult one day to be a coach because I don’t have a passion for this generation. They don’t take advice from our experience.
They think the phones will give you a good education—TikTok, Instagram,” Ronaldo said.
Instead, Ronaldo is looking forward to focusing on business ventures after his playing career ends.
“I have other things to worry about, another chapter of my life that is business-focused, and I’m excited about it. It will be a challenge for me to learn other areas I don’t know, to be more involved in my business, and I think I will be good at it,” he said.