“He’d like to come back and make United great again” - Cristiano Ronaldo backed for Manchester United return as ex-teammate floats idea of new role

Cristiano Ronaldo has been backed to return to Old Trafford by former Manchester United teammate Danny Simpson, although not as a player, but in a different and potentially influential role.

Ronaldo, currently playing for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, played for Manchester United across two different stints. His first spell, between 2003 and 2009, was marked with achievements that established him as one of the best players in the game.

However, his second spell was one to forget, as he did not only fail to win a trophy, but he also left the club on acrimonious terms. Since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure, Manchester United have been plagued by instability and inconsistency on the pitch.

Speaking to GOAL, Simpson believes the Portuguese superstar still feels a strong connection to the club and would ‘like to come back and make United great again,’ this time by contributing off the pitch rather than on it.

When asked whether Ronaldo would like to right a few wrongs at Old Trafford, Simpson said:

"I wouldn’t say no. If you look at his mentality, he obviously cares about the club. I think he would say that because he would like to come back again but in another way. I don’t think he liked the way he left so he’d like to come back and make United great again, on some kind of level making decisions.

"The business side is obviously very different, but he’s also a businessman. You can’t knock that team he’s got around him. I’d love him to because I think he’s got a lot to offer, even on that side of the game going forward. Just his mentality and everything he does, he achieves it. That’s what United need."

During their time together as teammates at Old Trafford, Simpson and Ronaldo played together just seven times, as the former’s spell at the club was disrupted by a series of loan moves.

Cristiano Ronaldo tipped for ownership role at Manchester United by former teammate

Prior to Simpson’s latest prediction on what the future holds for Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United, a few former Red Devils players had predicted the five-time Ballon d’Or winner for an executive role at the club.

In May, Quinton Fortune, who also played alongside Ronaldo during his first stint at Old Trafford, suggested that the Al-Nassr forward could one day become a ‘part owner’ of the club. He told Boyle Sports:

“Could Cristiano Ronaldo be a coach? I think he could do anything he puts his mind to. We’ve seen it first hand during his career. At Manchester United I could see him as a part owner, he’s done incredible things in football and also financially, anything is possible because he loves the club. The club still loves him with the amazing memories he created there, if he got an opportunity behind the scenes I think he’d jump to be a part of it.”

Across his two stints at United, Ronaldo scored 145 goals and provided 72 assists in 346 appearances across all competitions.