Filed under: Manchester United, Football
Cristiano Ronaldo has confessed he misses the Premier League and refuses to rule out a return to Manchester United.But two years on from his exit, would Sir Alex Ferguson even be tempted to be reunited with the Portuguese winger?
Ronaldo reminisced about his days in England to Sky Sports and raised the prospect of a return: "I don't close the door (on the Premier League) so maybe in the future I hope so.
"I know the league, I know the players, I know the atmosphere.
"Why not? I hope so one day but you never know. The team that I like more in England is Manchester, but I cannot say that I am going to play there one day because I am very, very happy in Madrid.
"But I have good memories from Manchester and when I watch sometimes the games I miss it a lot because it's part of me I left in England."
The feeling is mutial and few can doubt the impact he made in his six-year spell at Old Trafford.
A firm favourite after arriving as a teenager, he progressed from a boy into a man as he emerged as one of the world's best players during his time under Ferguson.
His goals to games ratio was impressive, and has even risen since making his world record £80 million move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009.
But the work ethic at Manchester United, which was there during Ronaldo's spell, appears to have gone up a notch even further since his departure.
There was no doubt Ronaldo was seen as one of the keystones of the side by Ferguson. He was the man who could turn a game in an instant as he rescued his side time and time again.
And while that individual brilliance will always be missed, there is a different look to the team Ferguson has created in the wake of the Portuguese's absence.
With Ronaldo's hulking presence having been removed from Old Trafford, Nani, who often played second fiddle to his countryman, has improved while the emergence of Javier Hernandez has helped make up the shortfall in goals.
Ferguson is certainly not short of attacking options with the summer arrival of Ashley Young strengthening his hand in this department.
The manager's priority is now the central midfield position, where Inter Milan's Wesley Sneijder remains at the top of his wanted list as he searches for Paul Scholes' replacement.
At the age of 26 and still at the peak of his powers, Ronaldo is in no hurry to leave the Bernabeu and his principle target is now ending Barcelona's monopoly in La Liga and Europe.
But his words inevitably encourage thoughts about a possible return to the Premier League.
And that is undeniably a mouth-watering prospect, whether or not it was with United.
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