Cristiano Ronaldo wanted to leave Manchester United as he felt he wasn't trusted to lead the club, according to Red Devils legend Dwight Yorke.
The 37-year-old forward left Old Trafford in controversial circumstances late last year after participating in a tell-all interview with Piers Morgan that saw Ronaldo air all of his views on everyone from manager Erik ten Hag to the Glazer family - neither of whom were discussed particularly positively.
Having told the world that he had "no respect" for Ten Hag, United were left with very little choice but to oversee the departure Ronaldo so desperately wanted anyway. His Red Devils contract was terminated by mutual consent and he has since put pen to paper on a deal with Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr where he is expected to earn around £173 per year as the highest-paid footballer ever.
United are unlikely to feel the repercussions of Ronaldo's exit too much considering he was used sparingly under Ten Hag, something that Yorke feels annoyed the five-time Ballon d'Or winner who felt he had it in him to restore the club to their former glories.
"I know that there was someone who is really passionate and really loves Manchester United, and wanted to take Manchester United back to the top," Yorke told The National. "But he clearly felt that the only way he could help the club get anywhere near that, I think he needed to be the leader."
Despite the fact that Ronaldo boasts plenty of experience at the absolute highest level, he clearly felt his expertise was not being put to good use and reports of his frustration over the fact that Harry Maguire was the man with the captain's armband littered his second spell at the club.
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Yorke goes on to address the much-maligned central defender as he adds: "‘I think, with Harry Maguire not being fully in the fold, I felt that Ronaldo didn’t think that was the right call; that he felt he should have led.
"Being the top scorer, he felt he didn’t get enough respect, because without him last year, United would have been nowhere near."
During his bombshell interview, Ronaldo also took aim at United's structure and the lack of improvements made since he first left the club back in 2009, something Yorke feels was the tipping point in the forward's mind.
"I think he got to the point where he had enough. He saw that the club was not heading in the direction he wanted it to. He wanted to lead and wasn’t given that opportunity, so it just boiled over."
United have barely looked back since Ronaldo's exit and have not lost a game since the resumption of club football following the World Cup last month.
The Red Devils now sit fourth in the table, two points ahead of fifth-placed Tottenham having played a game less. They also remain in both domestic cup competitions.
