Cristiano Ronaldo is making headlines once again. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was spotted on Manchester United’s training pitch ahead of their weekend showdown with Newcastle United. The 36-year-old forward was released early from international duty with Portugal to return to Manchester after a 12-year absence.
Many of United’s key contributors are still absent on international duty, but Ronaldo was filmed jogging with former Spanish International player Juan Mata. The pair battled against each other for two seasons in La Liga, with Mata’s Valencia finishing third and Ronaldo and Real Madrid finishing second in both seasons.
Before training, Ronaldo met with United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before being introduced to his new teammates. Solskjaer and Ronaldo were teammates at Old Trafford for four years. At that point, Solskjaer’s career was winding down, while Ronaldo was quickly becoming one of the best players in the world.
The manager is hoping that Ronaldo can reinvigorate the club for a second time after finishing second in the league last season. If Ronaldo’s training goes well, he figures to make his second debut for United either this weekend or at mid-week in the Champions League at Swiss side BSC Young Boys.