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Cristiano Ronaldo is in his second spell with Manchester United after the Premier League side re-signed him last summer.

The forward has been leading the Red Devils’ attack this season and has managed 15 goals and three assists in all competitions.

His first spell with the Manchester club was between 2003 and 2009, when Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge at Old Trafford.

They signed him from Sporting and the Portugal international was instrumental in helping United win every competition they played in, including three league titles, a Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup. He also won his first Ballon d’Or with the English club in 2008.

Ronaldo then moved to Real Madrid, with whom he went on to win the Europe’s elite club competition on four occasions. He also won multiple trophies during his three-year spell at Juventus.

DAZN have published an interview with the former Real Madrid star, where he reviewed his long career, during which Ronaldo shared his views on joining United in 2003 and again in 2021.

“Leaving Sporting and coming to Manchester was the change of my life,” the attacker said.

“And now coming back at 36 was also a very nice moment in my life, being a family man, with many children, winning what I already won in football, showing everything what I had to demonstrate and create a page in the history of football.”

“But apart from that, what I wanted was to get there and show myself that I was capable of playing at a high level. I think I didn’t disappoint expectations, because maybe people were expecting a different Cristiano and no, it was the other way around.”

“I arrived well, scoring goals, mainly in the Champions League, which I scored in all the games. I feel good, it was a nice change to return home so many years later. For me it was a source of pride and enormous satisfaction.”

“The sacrifice that I make every year, every season, weekly, monthly, daily, has to have its reward in the end, because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t know much. But that’s my motivation. To work, but to think that in the end I’m going to win something important, a title, an award…”

“My life was a very beautiful journey. I have left a mark everywhere I have been. I think there is no player in history who can be proud to say that wherever he has gone, he has left a mark, and that makes me happy.”