"Was a case of why did he do it?" - Former coach details Manchester United dressing room's reaction to Cristiano Ronaldo's Piers Morgan interview
Former Manchester United assistant manager Mike Phelan has opened up on what transpired in the Red Devils' dressing room following Cristiano Ronaldo's controversial interview with Piers Morgan. The Portuguese talisman's interview came amid The Red Devils' strained performances following Erik ten Hag's appointment as Manchester United manager in the summer of 2022.
Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford in 2021 from Juventus amid much fanfare and scored 24 goals in the 2021-22 season. However, the Red Devils finished sixth in the Premier League during a tumultuous period for the club as Ralf Rangnick replaced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the helm of Old Trafford.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner saw himself warming the bench soon after Erik ten Hag came to English shores from Ajax. Amid a harrowing season, Ronaldo criticised the club and the Dutch manager in an interview with Morgan. His contract was terminated following the interview.
Phelan has now opened up about the impact Ronaldo's interview had in the Manchester United dressing room, even as he stated that the Portuguese "spoke from the heart". Here's what he told talkSPORT:
"I don't think there was a massive reaction within the environment. I think it was a case of why did he do it? Why with Piers? Was it more about Piers than Ronaldo? He spoke from the heart to be fair. He explained pretty categorically that he was disappointed with the environment that he'd come back to."
"I think he had a point. There were elements to the ground that were tired, the training ground that were tired. He's a high-maintenance player, Cristiano. Massive standards, huge standards."
Phelan claimed that he loved working with Cristiano Ronaldo. He added that the Portuguese talisman tried emulating the standard he expected the players to maintain in the dressing room. He said:
"I loved working with Cristiano. What he brought to the table the first time around was incredible. And then he comes back and yes, you want that same youthfulness. You want that same kid. But you want his experience as well."
"The problem is, is you're a player and your domain is the dressing room and you need to set those standards in the dressing room and I'm sure he tried to do that. I'm not saying that Cristiano did, but you can't dictate what goes on outside of your environment. He was a player."
Following the termination of his United contract in November 2022, Ronaldo joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr in the subsequent month.
Manchester United won the FA Cup after defeating Manchester City
The Red Devils endured yet another underwhelming season as they finished eighth, their lowest-ever finish in the Premier League. However, Ten Hag's men redeemed themselves after defeating Manchester City 2-1 to win the FA Cup.
Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo scored for The Red Devils while Jeremy Doku scored a consolation goal for City.
However, Ten Hag's future at the club remains shrouded in mystery. Reports suggest that he will be replaced in the coming days despite Manchester United securing a spot in the Europa League next season following their FA Cup win.