Liverpool legend Graeme Souness has astonishingly sided with Cristiano Ronaldo after the Manchester United forward sat down with Piers Morgan for what promises to be an explosive interview.
From the trailer alone, fans have heard Ronaldo explain how he has no respect for manager Erik ten Hag, is unhappy with the facilities at the club and feels United are lagging significantly behind the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal.
United have already released a statement of their own ahead of the full interview's release on Wendesday night on Piers Morgan Uncensored, it read: "Manchester United notes the media coverage regarding an interview by Cristiano Ronaldo.
"The club will consider its response after the full facts have been established. Our focus remains on preparing for the second half of the season and continuing the momentum, belief and togetherness being built among the players, manager, staff, and fans."
Despite Ronaldo taking aim at his manager and employers in a move many would deem unprofessional, Souness has actually stuck up for the 37-year-old.
“I choose to believe Ronaldo has been mistreated here. I think he has been told a story and the manager has not kept it.
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"He does not bring him on against Manchester City out of respect. A couple of weeks later he wanted him to come on against Tottenham with three minutes to go, what can he do there?
"Then he makes him captain, and that for me looking at it from the outside, I think the player has a grievance, and I think he is entitled to his grievance."
Some of Ronaldo's astonishing remarks have already been made public via The Sun and they are so damning many expect him to never pull on the United shirt ever again.
While discussing Ten Hag, he claimed: "I don’t have respect for him because he doesn’t show respect for me. If you don’t have respect for me, I’m never gonna have respect for you.
"If you don’t have respect for me, I’m never gonna have respect for you."
Souness went on to claim that if he had gone back on his word to a player while he was a manager, he would udnderstood had they reacted in similar fashion to the way Ronaldo has.
It actually remains unclear whether Ten Hag or any senior United official has gone back on their word to Ronaldo at any stage of his second spell at the club, but the forward certainly feels like he has been wronged at just about every turn.
