Cristiano Ronaldo ‘happy to be back’ after 45-minute Man Utd return
The Portugal star was substituted at half-time of the friendly against Rayo Vallecano
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Cristiano Ronaldo insisted he was “happy to be back” playing for Manchester United after he appeared for 45 minutes in the 1-1 friendly draw against Rayo Vallecano.
Ronaldo missed United’s pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia due to family reasons amid reports he wants to quit the club, but he reported to the training ground earlier this week to discuss his future with new boss Erik ten Hag.
The 37-year-old played 45 minutes against the La Liga side – his first United appearance since their 4-0 horror defeat at Brighton last season – before being withdrawn at half-time in a pre-planned move.
He later posted on social media a picture of him playing in the game with the caption: “Happy to be back!”
United completed their pre-season preparations with a draw as Ronaldo’s replacement Amad Diallo’s 48th-minute strike was cancelled out by Alvaro Garcia Rivera.
It remains to be seen whether the Portugal international will be involved in United’s Premier League curtain-raiser with Brighton next Sunday.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments