Cristiano Ronaldo can win World Cup and Golden Boot but will never play for Man Utd again

Cristiano Ronaldo ended his Manchester United career with an explosive interview with Piers Morgan and will not be welcomed back even if he has the World Cup of his life

Cristiano Ronaldo has played his last game for Manchester United. His time at Old Trafford is done.

Nobody is bigger than the club – not even the greatest player of all time, as I still believe he is. More than once, Ronaldo referenced his old manager Sir Alex Ferguson in that bombshell interview with Piers Morgan.

But when Fergie believed David Beckham was commanding too much attention at United, he was sold to Spanish giants Real Madrid. And Ronaldo burned too many bridges, notably saying he does not respect current manager Erik ten Hag, for there to be any way back.

Ominously, United have released a statement saying they have “initiated appropriate steps in response to Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent media interview.”

Having said that, just supposing CR7 wins the Golden Boot in Qatar over the next month and Portugal win the World Cup… would you take him back? His stock would never have been higher, and he would be more marketable than ever.

My answer is simple: If Ronaldo wants to keep playing until he is 40, as he said in that interview, he will have to do so at another club.

He may still be good enough to affect games for Portugal in a World Cup group containing South Korea, Ghana and Uruguay – but Manchester United have begun to find a way of prospering without him.

I have always admired Ronaldo’s mentality, his longevity at the top and his willingness to wring every drop from himself physically. And let’s be honest: Last season would have been an unbearable, unthinkable mess for United without his 24 goals.

But he cannot be so critical of Ten Hag, who has been utterly consistent in applying his rules at Old Trafford. Just as Alejandro Garnacho was not given a minute of playing time on United’s pre-season tour, he clamped down hard when Ronaldo refused to come off the bench against Tottenham and sulked down the tunnel.

He treated an all-time great the same way as he disciplined a promising youngster. Players need to know where they stand, and that rules apply to everybody.

For me, it’s sad if we’ve seen the last of Ronaldo on these shores. And without comparing myself to his ability or success, I’m afraid we all rage against the fading light.

At 37, I remember coming top of the bleep test in training, my stats were high as ever and I wanted to believe I was still indispensable to my team.

It must be hard for Ronaldo – even when not impacting games at same level as his peak years, he can still influence them more than most.

In my case, after 600 appearances – of which only 15 or 20 were as sub – my body language, when I was confined to the bench, was more sullen. I couldn’t hide my disappointment.

Sadly, it looks like that’s what has happened to Ronaldo at United. He doesn’t want to be a bad influence, but he has not been affecting games as much as he once did.

All good things come to an end. And even at 37, surely Cristiano Ronaldo hasn’t got a Golden Boot at the World Cup left in the locker… has he?