Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes appeared to be in agreement when discussing Cristiano Ronaldo ’s exit from Manchester United.
Ronaldo ended his relationship with Manchester United by mutual consent last week, following his bombshell interview with Piers Morgan. However, the list of clubs who could sign the Portuguese superstar, despite being a free agent, is not a lengthy one.
Multiple clubs have already distanced themselves from signing Ronaldo including Real Madrid – for whom he is their all-time club record goalscorer. His mother's club Sporting Lisbon have also played down an approach, where Ronaldo began his career, from making a move while Bayern Munich poured cold water on speculation.
Ronaldo’s exit from Old Trafford appeared to be a somewhat acrimonious one, despite the club and player mutually agreeing for an exit during the domestic season’s World Cup break. The nature of his exit – being heavily critical of the club, several legends and boss Erik ten Hag – was likely to leave some degree of ill feeling.
However, the public comments from United’s star players following Ronaldo’s exit do not suggest there is any bad blood. There is no animosity from United’s players, who are unanimous in wishing the 37-year-old good luck for the remainder of his career.
Speaking of Ronaldo’s exit, his attacking partner Rashford declared: "It has been an unbelievable experience to play with him. He is one of my idols and someone I always looked up to.
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“It is something I can keep with me forever, I wish him all the best and we want to thank him for the things he’s done for Manchester United."
That sentiment is similarly shared by Fernandes, who shared a seemingly awkward reunion with Ronaldo as they met up in the Portugal camp ahead of the World Cup. There have been claims that that video may have been taken out of context, with the two striking a strong on-field relationship for Portugal during the tournament.
"I don’t feel uncomfortable. I don’t have to pick a side,” Fernandes said in Qatar, when asked about the exit from Old Trafford of his Portugal teammate. “It was a dream come true to play with Cristiano [at United] but nothing lasts forever."
