Piers Morgan has revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo quipped he was as 'free as a bird' in a text message after his Manchester United contract was terminated.
It was confirmed in a statement last month that Ronaldo's second stint at Old Trafford was over after the 37-year-old and the club came to an agreement that would terminate the final six months of Ronaldo's deal with "immediate effect".
Ronaldo's exit came less than a week after his explosive, unsanctioned interview with Morgan, where he took aim at Erik ten Hag, the Glazer family and the club's facilities. And Morgan has now lifted the lid on the first conversation he had with the Portuguese superstar since he became a free agent.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Morgan said: "I texted Cristiano a GIF of William Wallace in Braveheart shouting: 'Freedom!' He thought that was a perfect summation of how he felt. 'Free as a bird' was his response."
Ronaldo is now free to join a club before the transfer window reopens in January; however, it is unlikely that the former Real Madrid and Juventus star will make a decision over his future until after the World Cup.
Reports have already revealed that Ronaldo has received a mega-money £173million-a-year offer from Saudi Arabia - but Morgan has hinted that Ronaldo would be reluctant to make such a move and would prefer to continue playing in Europe.
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The TalkTV host added: "He thinks that if he does well at this World Cup, he’ll get what he really wants, which is a club in the Champions League that extends his record and his legacy.
"It’s not about money at this stage of his career. It comes down to a burning desire to play football at the highest level, to break records and win trophies. And he has done that in more countries than any other player in history."
Ronaldo is the Champions League's greatest-ever goalscorer after plundering 141 goals in the competition over the course of the past 19 years. Long-time rival Lionel Messi is not far behind him - and Tony Cascarino claimed back in the summer that he believed Ronaldo wanted to quit Manchester United - who had failed to qualify for the Champions League - to defend his record.
He told talkSPORT back in the summer: “I said to you off-air, I’m a bit suspicious because he’s got 141 goals in the Champions League. Messi has got 125. He doesn’t want to not play Champions League football because he wants to be the greatest Champions League goalscorer of all time and that’s how Ronaldo is made.”
