Erik ten Hag gives strong one-line response to Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United exit

Ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the biggest talking point for the football world was Cristiano Ronaldo’s bombshell interview with English journalist Piers Morgan.

During the discussion on Piers Morgan Uncenconsered, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner leveled several sensational claims on Premier League club Manchester United, including the one that he felt disrespected by the manager Erik ten Hag. While the interview led to Ronaldo and United mutually agreeing to terminate his contract, Dutch manager Ten Hag has now broken his silence on the Portuguese captain’s exit from the club.

In an interview with MUTV, ahead of United’s friendly game against Spanish club Cadiz, the manager said it is a thing of the past now. “He’s gone and it’s the past,” Ten Hag said. “We are now looking forward and we’re looking to the future,” he added. During his interview with Morgan, Ronaldo admitted that he doesn’t respect the manager as he himself never felt respected by the manager, while also adding that he felt betrayed by the club.

‘In top-level football, you never get time’: Erik ten Hag

Meanwhile, Ten Hag went on to add how Ronaldo’s exit has forced several changes in the club. “When you change things in an organisation and change the way of playing, that takes time. In top-level football, you never get time. Opponents want to kill you and that happened. We had to quickly adapt and I think our squad did terrifically. The mentality changed and I think our way of playing changed during the season, the style, and I think we are growing and we have to keep the process going,” the United head coach told MUTV.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s time with Premier League club Manchester United

Cristiano Ronaldo made a sensational return to United in the summer transfer window of 2021 after spending over a decade away from the club. He joined the Premier League side for the first time as a teenager in 2003 and went on to become one of the most exciting footballers in the world during his time there till 2009. It is pertinent to mention that Ronaldo won the first of his five Ballon d’Or titles with the Old Trafford-based team in 2008.

Despite the dramatic end to his second stint with United, Ronaldo remains a club legend and his stats speak about the same. He played a total of 346 matches for the Red Devils and scored 145 goals while assisting 64 times. The 37-year-old is the leading goal scorer in club football with 701 goals in 949 appearances.