Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted he regrets walking down the tunnel and refusing to come off the bench against Tottenham in October.
Ronaldo, 37, was an unused substitute for United as they cruised to a 2-0 lead over Spurs at Old Trafford and was pictured trudging towards the tunnel in the 89th minute of the match. United boss Erik ten Hag had only used three of his five available substitutes and the Dutchman confirmed that Ronaldo had refused to come on.
The striker has become an isolated figure at Old Trafford after pushing for a move in the summer and has largely been utilised off the bench this season. The incident against Spurs was one of many controversial incidents involving Ronaldo and United, with the striker also part of a group of teammates that left the stadium early during a pre-season fixture against Rayo Vallecano.
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The controversy hasn't slowed down in recent days as the Portuguese has taken part in an interview with Piers Morgan to discuss his displeasure at his treatment by Man United. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner also went on record to reveal his feelings on Ralf Rangnick, Ten Hag and the Manchester United owners.
After last night's first episode, the second part of the interview tonight (Thursday) reveals Ronaldo's regret at refusing to come on against the north Londoners in October. He told TalkTV: “Piers I will be honest with you, it's something that I regret to left [leaving] from the stadium. Probably, or maybe no, I don't know.
"It's difficult to tell you 100% but let's say I regret, but in the same way I felt provoked by the coach. Not allowed for me, a coach to put me in three minutes in a game. Sorry, I'm not that kind of player. I know what I can give to the teams.”
As for the incident pre-season, Ronaldo added: “Me and eight players, but they mentioned only my name…everyone do that (in pre-season)… Last year, many players did the same.
"In that game eight players do the same but they only speak about the black sheep which is me, which is, I completely understand, okay, it's done, I apologise to the coach and for me, the chapter was closed.”
Watch Piers Morgan Uncensored: 90 Minutes with Ronaldo at https://watch.talk.tv/ or www.youtube.com/piersmorganuncensored.
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