Piers Morgan says it was Cristiano Ronaldo who approached him to conduct their already infamous interview, but refused to reveal when it was recorded.
Ronaldo scolded Manchester United for their treatment of him during his return stint, saying he felt “betrayed” and accused several people of trying to force him out of the club. The 37-year-old also said he had no respect for boss Erik ten Hag - who suspended him for his early exit against Tottenham - because he “doesn’t show respect for me”.
Prior to the start of the season, he had vowed to reveal all in an interview about what happened over the summer after failing to secure a move away from Old Trafford, giving the time frame of a few weeks which passed by without comment.
READ MORE: Ronaldo accuses Ten Hag of trying to 'force him out' of United
Many have now slammed Ronaldo for both his remarks and the timing of his latest interview’s release. Morgan shared clips and quotes from their discussion just hours after United had beaten Fulham via an Alejandro Garnacho stoppage-time winner in what was the club’s final game before the World Cup break.
Morgan added that it was the Portugal captain - who missed the last two matches due to illness - who floated the idea of the interview. Speaking on talkSPORT, he explained: “Cristiano asked me to do it, simple as that, he asked me. Recently, he’s been thinking about it for a while, it’s no secret he’s felt a deep built-up frustration about what’s been happening at Manchester United.
“He feels it was time to speak out and he knows it’s incendiary, he knows it will rattle some cages but he also feels he should be doing this. He knows people will criticise him but what he’s saying is true, sometimes the truth hurts."
Asked when he conducted the sit-down, he answered: “I’m not going to say - [we had] done it recently but that’s between me and Cristiano.
“He’s been thinking about this for a while then I got a call ‘I want to do it now’ and I think part of the timing was the World Cup is about to start, he could have a good World Cup, it gives him a month away from United and time for what he’s said to settle in then they can try resolve things.
“He makes the point in the interview repeatedly, he loves Manchester United, he loves the fans but what he’s come back to, in his view, is the stagnated club which hasn’t moved on from the way he’s left it. He can’t understand why not and he feels if he doesn’t speak out nothing will change.”
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