Cristiano Ronaldo has said he regrets choosing to leave Old Trafford before the conclusion of Manchester United's 2-0 win over Tottenham last month - but insisted that he was provoked by Erik ten Hag.
Ronaldo was named among the substitutes for the visit of Antonio Conte's side, with Marcus Rashford preferred up front. Ronaldo was instructed to step off the bench in the latter stages of the game but refused, instead choosing to walk back along the touchline, down the tunnel, into the dressing room and then head for home before the full-time whistle.
His actions overshadowed what was an impressive victory for United and Ten Hag took disciplinary action against Ronaldo for his actions, banishing him from the squad for the trip to Chelsea three days later.
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He was also forced to train alone at Carrington the day before the trip to Stamford Bridge before being invited back into the main squad a few days later and being restored to the starting line-up for the 3-0 Europa League win over FC Sheriff.
"I will be honest with you, it's something that I regret, to leave the stadium," Ronaldo told TalkTV. "Probably, or maybe no, I don't know. It's difficult to tell you 100 per cent but let's say I regret [it], but in the same way I felt provoked by the coach. It is not allowed for a coach to put me in [for] three minutes in a game. Sorry, I'm not that kind of player. I know what I can give to the team."
The Portugal captain's decision to leave Old Trafford before the conclusion of the contest was not an isolated incident. Ronaldo also left the stadium early during United's final pre-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano at the end of July. On that occasion, he was not the only player to leave ahead of the full-time whistle being sounded, but he was the only player to have featured in the match to leave early.
"Me and eight players, but they mentioned only my name… everyone did that," Ronaldo added. "Last year, many players did the same. In that game, eight players do the same but they only speak about the black sheep which is me. I completely understand. Okay, it's done, I apologise to the coach and for me, the chapter was closed."
Watch Piers Morgan Uncensored: 90 Minutes with Ronaldo on TalkTV or on YouTube at 8pm on Thursday evening. Find TalkTV on Sky 526, Virgin Media 606, Freeview 237, Freesat 217 and Sky Glass 508, live and on demand on the TalkTV app, streaming services and at Talk.TV
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