Monday, September 27, 2021 at 13:12• Last update: 13:27

Sir Alex Ferguson has thoroughly enjoyed Ronaldo’s spectacular return to Old Trafford, he says in the official Manchester United podcast. The former manager of the Red Devils calls the ambiance created by the Portuguese star during his return to Old Trafford ‘fantastic’.

Manchester United brought Ronaldo back to Old Trafford on the final day of the transfer market, twelve years after he left for Real Madrid. The 36-year-old attacker made an impressive comeback in the shirt of the Premier League club by scoring twice in the 4-1 win against Newcastle United. Ferguson was present at Old Trafford and saw the Portuguese shine.

The former United coach, who gave the club thirteen titles in the Premier League and twice crowned the Champions League winner, enjoyed the return of Ronaldo. “It’s fantastic,” Ferguson says. “You saw on that Saturday that it was like Julius Caesar entering Rome after the victory. I came I saw I conquered.” The five-time Ballon d’Or winner impressed the Scottish manager during his first spell at Manchester. “A lot of people said he was a diver and he was for a short period of time, but then he attacked defenders and only needed a gap to pass them. He attacked with incredible speed.”

According to Ferguson, Ronaldo has always had the potential to become one of the best footballers in the world. “He sacrificed himself to be the best. I remember we were going to play against Arsenal on a Saturday. It was raining hard on Carrington. You know he was still practicing after training, so I said to him, “Get in. We have a game tomorrow, it’s way too wet.’ I went to my office, looked out the window and what was he doing? He was working on artificial grass. I couldn’t say anything about it, he had beaten me.”

“I knew how good he was going to be, absolutely,” Ferguson continues. “He eventually had a dream to go to Real Madrid. I was not against his departure; playing for United for six years was great for a boy from Madeira. He arrived in Manchester when he was 18 and we ended up enjoying him for six years.” Since his return to Manchester United, Ronaldo has scored four goals in all competitions. Last Saturday he failed to score against Aston Villa (0-1). Next Wednesday, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team will take on Villarreal in the Champions League in front of their own audience.