Ronaldo Gets His Wish

By Staff Writer | 12th June 2009

Ronaldo Gets His Wish | read this item

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cristiano-ronaldo-with-the-media The worst-kept secret in football was confirmed on Thursday when Manchester United finally relented and gave permission to Cristiano Ronaldo to complete an £80m world record transfer to top sutiors Real Madrid.

The Premier League champions revealed the 24-year-old ”had again expressed his desire to leave” and that they hope to sever all ties with the Portugal international by June 30.

The admission ends 12 months of claims and counter-claims between the two clubs and allows world player of the year Ronaldo to fulfil his boyhood dream of wearing the white shirt of his heroes.

It also vindicates skeptical match-going United supporters who never quite trusted him when he trotted out his familiar party line that he was happy to stay at Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s infamous barb that he would never “sell that mob a virus” gave some insight into the hostile relations between two of the game’s giants – but it is fair to suggest the writing was on the wall last summer.

Cracks appeared to grow between player and manager, illustrated in a key fixture at Wigan at the end of last season when Ronaldo appeared to gesture back at Ferguson in reaction to the Scot’s anger at what he felt was a missed opportunity by the star forward.

A public show of dissent in the Manchester derby and apparent criticism of his manager’s tactics in the wake of the 2-0 humbling by Barcelona in the Champions League also fanned the flames that all was not well.

Ferguson usually gets his own way when it comes to dealing with egos, so it will be curious to know his thoughts on Ronaldo asking to leave. Previous favourites such as David Beckham, Roy Keane and Ruud van Nistelrooy have all been shown the door when it was suggested they had become bigger than the dressing-room.

Of course, United will move on as they did when legends such as Bryan Robson and Eric Cantona said their farewells and while the fee is a shock, Ronaldo’s move itself is not a surprise.

And so the Old Trafford faithful lose another hero and the Premier League loses unquestionably its biggest star.

Ferguson, who also faces the prospect of losing senior professionals such as Edwin van der Sar, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville to retirement,while there is still no outcome to the Carlos Teves affair, is now charged with the task of filling an almighty void but it would be folly to suggest he did not see this coming – and those who doubt him usually end up marvelling at his ability to keep the club evolving.

Nick Walsh writes features and betting previews for Betfair.