'I saw what really went down in Man Utd dressing room when Cristiano Ronaldo returned'

Former Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick has revealed that an incredible "buzz" swept through Old Trafford when Cristiano Ronaldo made his sensational return in the summer of 2021. Carrick was part ofOle Gunnar Solskjaer'scoaching team when the Portuguese superstar rejoined the Red Devils.

He has now acknowledged that the signing lifted the entire club, yet confessed he handled the global icon, who left in acrimonious circumstances in November 2022, "differently" compared to other players under his guidance.

Speaking on the , Carrick described the surreal experience of witnessing the legendary Ronaldo back at United's Carrington training ground, more than a decade after his departure to Real Madrid in 2009.

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"Yeah, he was good," Carrick said when Ferdinandquizzed him about Ronaldo's comeback. "I mean, there was a hell of a buzz around the place when he came back. It was an incredible kind of feeling around those games, and then him coming back. And just seeing him back around the building was weird."

The former midfielder explained how coaching Ronaldo presented a completely different challenge, saying: "So there's definitely then for me, from a coaching point of view, I was really conscious of then treating him very different to when I would treat some of the younger players or the ones that are really intense, trying to help a lot and trying to develop them.

"He's at the end where he is what he is, you know, and you respect what he is. And we give a few kinds of pointers for the team. You're not going to coach him.

"There's no way I'm coaching him about his runs or where to finish. But it's a totally different element of coaching to say what I was coaching with some of the other boys, where you're trying to really give them some help and advice and improve them a lot. It's just incredible what he's done."

Initially joining United in August 2023, Ronaldo went on to cement his status as one of the game's most exceptional talents at Old Trafford.

He netted more than a century of goals for the Red Devils and contributed to United securing three Premier League crowns plus the Champions League, with Carrick revealing his astonishment at Ronaldo's progression during their time as teammates.

"I mean, for me, that first year when I signed, he didn't score as many goals, but it was 2006, 2007, and he played right wing. He was unbelievable. Unbelievable. And then he got a taste of scoring goals after that. And then he changed a bit.

"He scored 40-odd goals the next year. But honestly, that first season after he came back from the World Cup with him in Wazza [Wayne Rooney] when he was on that right wing as an all-round player, I've never seen... I don't think I've seen that before."

Ronaldo's return spell, despite delivering some spectacular moments, proved disappointing for both player and club. He left United in November 2022 following his explosive interview with Piers Morgan, during which he criticised the club's condition and his handling under former United manager Erik ten Hag.

Yet Carrick has praised the now 40-year-old Al-Nassr star for the boost he brought and his committed attitude to fitness and preparation.

"I think it was a genuine buzz," Carrick said. "But when he came back, I think everyone was buzzing to see what he was going to bring. And he had to manage himself a little bit more. He was smarter then in terms of his body and training-wise and how much he needed to push himself.

"He still scored goals. And I'm sure the boys learnt off him by just something to the times like we learnt at the time of other players. You learn by watching a lot of the time. And they don't always have to tell you things. It's more of the experience of being around him."

Finally, when questioned if Ronaldo's apparent reluctance to track back and assist with defensive duties was ever a problem, Carrick sought to set the record straight.

"No, listen, there's obviously parts of it where it's not always an individual thing," he added. "You're trying to put the team together and you've got things that you're trying to work on. But he scored goals. He was always going to score. He always has. He's continuing to do it. You know, it's what he does."

Listen to the full Rio Meets Michael Carrick interview available now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast YouTube channel from 5pm GMT.

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