World Kick Off

The saga surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo has taken yet another twist after he reportedly phoned Manchester United to inform he will return for pre-season training…

According to The Sun, the Portuguese superstar has given his word that he will be at Carrington on July 10 as scheduled, thus putting paid to claims he will be leaving United within the next few weeks.

It is the first time this month that the 23-year-old has made contact with the Red Devils, having snubbed the club’s attempts to reach him while he was at EURO 2008 with Portugal.

It was reported the two-time PFA Player of the Year refused to answer Sir Alex Ferguson’s calls amid the chaos surrounding his possible ₤70million move to Real Madrid.

Ferguson responded in kind after the former Sporting Lisbon sensation revealed his desire to make the switch, refusing to break off his summer holiday and thus meaning negotiations could not commence.

Ronaldo has since scrapped his plans to return to Manchester this week for an assessment of his injured foot, instead opting to take a holiday himself.

The Seleccao winger may be eager to kill two birds with one stone when he arrives in the North-West next month, perhaps hoping to have his foot sorted out immediately before discussing his future with Ferguson – who returns to work on July 1 – or vice versa.

Mike Maguire



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