Erik ten Hag issues brutal 17-word verdict on Cristiano Ronaldo’s Manchester United exit

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Erik ten Hag has issued a 17-word verdict on Cristiano Ronaldo‘s Manchester United exit in an interview with the club’s in-house media team.

The 37-year-old left the club last month after the five-time Ballon d’Or winner and the Red Devils mutually agreed to terminate his contract with immediate effect.

Ten Hag said: “He’s gone and it’s the past.

“We are now looking forward and we’re looking to the future.”

United’s former number seven engineered his departure from the club after an explosive interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV.

Portugal’s captain claimed he felt “betrayed” by the twenty-time league champions and said he had “no respect” for Ten Hag.

Erik ten Hag issues 17-word verdict on Cristiano Ronaldo’s Manchester United exit

After failing to secure a move to a Champions League club in the summer, Ronaldo, who re-joined the Reds from Juventus last summer, returned to Carrington late in the summer after missing the club’s pre-season tour due to “personal reasons”.

But Ten Hag quickly realised what life would be like managing Ronaldo when the superstar left Old Trafford early during a pre-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano.

With Ronaldo finding himself primarily on the bench for Premier League matches, Ten Hag said he didn’t bring one of the greatest players of all time during the 6-3 hammering to Manchester City “out of respect for what he’s achieved in his career”.

Ronaldo refused to come on against Tottenham Hotspur and left Old Trafford while his teammates were beating Antonio Conte’s side.

The five-time Champions League winner was disciplined and was dropped for the 1-1 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

But after missing United’s final two games before the World Cup break against Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup and in the Premier League against Fulham, snippets of Ronaldo’s interview with Piers Morgan went viral just hours after Alejandro Garnacho’s winner at Craven Cottage.

Ronaldo is now a free agent and was dropped to the bench for Portugal’s 6- 1 win against Switzerland in the World Cup round of 16 with his replacement Goncalo Ramos scoring a hat-trick.