Cristiano Ronaldo has retired from international football and one former Man Utd colleague believes he could return to the club one day.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo has been tipped for a return to Old Trafford one day, as Manchester United manager or owner
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Cristiano Ronaldo has been backed for a career in management after pulling down the curtain on his international career - and is tipped for a romantic return to Manchester United in the future.
The 41-year-old called time on his Portugal career on Thursday after a record-breaking 146 goals in 234 caps, although he will play on at club level and has the historic marker of 1,000 goals in his sights.
But thoughts are already turning to what Ronaldo does next and a coach who worked closely with him during his first spell at Old Trafford believes he will want to try his hand at management.
Mick Clegg spent 11 years as the strength and conditioning coach at United and became a close ally of Ronaldo's, who walked into the gym as an 18-year-old and told Clegg he planned to become the best player in the world.
"I think he'd want to have a go as a manager," said Clegg. "I tell you what, he's watched a lot of managers, hasn't he? And he's seen a lot of problems with them. He knows the good ones and he knows the bad ones.
"I think he'd be special as a manager, because he's open-minded, he listens to people. He knows himself, but he also knows what goes on around him."
Clegg is convinced that Ronaldo is already planning a post-playing career in football, and if management doesn't work out, he believes he could turn his hand to ownership, and one way or another, can see a return to United on the cards.
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"I think he'd love to be Man United manager or owner," he said. "That's the thing about him: he's always planning... He's a planner. He's not somebody who just waits for things to happen.
"That's what he did, and that's why he planned to go to Real Madrid, even though everybody thought he's come to United to be there forever, probably. But no, he had a plan to get away from Man United. He was there as an apprentice; that's how he saw it. And it was really hard for me knowing what was on his mind, but knowing how dedicated he was to do it.
"But he did love United. I think what he left behind left a lot in him, because he knew the people there and he loved the place."
Ronaldo's decision to quit the Portugal team comes after a bust-up with new boss Jorge Jesus during the last international camp, when the five-time Ballon d'Or winner ended up walking out of the squad.
But Clegg rejects the assertion that Ronaldo's decisions have been driven by ego or that he finds it difficult to accept that he might no longer be the main man for his country.
"I don't think he's that egocentric to think that he's the best all the time," he said. "He will know whether he's the best or not based on really good information about himself and about the other players around him, and about the squad and about the manager and the staff.
"Top players retire at like 33, 35. He's gone over 40. He knows he has to finish some time... But I think he'll have been well prepared for that."
Cristiano Ronaldo trains with Mick Clegg in his first spell at United
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Clegg, a fitness specialist who now runs his own gym in Ashton-under-Lyne, where he works with young footballers, as well as being an expert for performance specialists PEAK4, said the Ronaldo he knew would have been "cringing" at the headlines and the fallout with Jesus, but he recounts a story from his first few days in the Carrington gym when he made his desire to improve clear.
"He said to me when he came into the gym, 'I know that Ryan Giggs is the person in the gym the most,' which he was, most dedicated, 'I'm going to be better than him'," recalls Clegg.
"So he'd already decided, 'I'm going to use Ryan Giggs as the model that I have to get level with and then obviously become better than'.
"And at the end of the day, he's lasted longer, a little bit longer than Ryan."
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