Ronaldo lifts lid on decision to leave Man Utd for Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo: Owes a lot to time at United

Cristiano Ronaldo insists he will “never forget” his time with Manchester United after explaining why he left for Real Madrid in 2009.

Ronaldo moved to the Spanish giants in an £80million deal eight years ago, becoming the world’s most expensive player at the time.

The Portuguese star netted an impressive 118 goals in 292 appearances for United, winning nine trophies in six successful years.

However, his career has gone on to superior heights in La Liga when he has set all kinds of goalscoring records and netted a breathtaking 411 goals in 401 games.

The forward almost joined Real a year before he eventually arrived, but United persuaded him to stay for 12 more months.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, he has explained his reasoning behind leaving the Premier League.

“I just thought in my mind I want to go there to show my level, to show that I’m a different player and that’s what I did,” he said.

“I arrived and I had a fantastic first season and then I have improved every season.

“I will never forget the Red Devils. I learnt to be better and better, being around the best players in the world.”