Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has insisted that he feels like he has become a “better man” after his bombshell exit from Manchester United.
Ronaldo made his sensational return to Old Trafford in 2021 after his Juventus exit and made an immediate impact under ex-United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner scored an impressive 24 times in 38 appearances for United in the 2021-22 campaign, despite Solskjaer being sacked last season.
Ronaldo’s future at Old Trafford was plunged into doubt after former Ajax manager Erik ten Hag succeeded Solskjaer in the United hot seat last summer.
The 38-year-old Portuguese forward was left battling for minutes at United and openly criticised Ten Hag in a bombshell interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV.
Ronaldo’s contract with United was terminated last November and the Red Devils legend then went on to sign a lucrative deal with Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr.
Portugal manager Roberto Martinez called up the former United forward for the country’s forthcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Luxembourg.
Speaking at a press conference, Portugal star Ronaldo said (via O Jogo): “Sometimes, you have to go through some things to see who is on my side.”
He continued: “I have no problem saying, I had a bad career run, but there’s no time for regrets. Life goes on and, doing well or not, it was part of my growth.
“When we are at the top of the mountain, we often cannot see what is below.
“Now, I’m more prepared and learning that was important, because I had never been through this, like in the last few months. Now I’m a better man.”
Ronaldo’s future with the Portugal national team was plunged into doubt after Morocco dumped them out of the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals in Qatar.
Martinez, who succeeded Fernando Santos as Portugal manager in January, previously claimed that Ronaldo was part of his plans ahead of Euro 2024 and the 2026 World Cup.
