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Ronaldo's 'unbelievable' Man Utd return
Ronaldo's 'unbelievable' Man Utd return

Ronaldo's 'unbelievable' Man Utd return

The 36-year-old marked his second United debut in style with a goal in each half in front of 76 000 adoring fans.
NAMPA
NAMPA/AFP







Cristiano Ronaldo admitted his "unbelievable" return to Manchester United had exceeded his own expectations as the Portugal star shrugged off his nerves to score twice in Saturday's 4-1 win against Newcastle.

Ronaldo returned to United in a blockbuster move from Juventus last month, 12 years after leaving Old Trafford to join Real Madrid.

Ronaldo's double was followed by goals from Bruno Fernandes and Jesse Lingard as United moved to the top of the Premier League.

It was an even better return than Ronaldo imagined during his anxious wait to pull on the famous United number seven shirt again.

"I didn't expect to score two goals. I expect one but not two. I have to appreciate the fans and what they did to me today. I feel so proud for that," he told BBC Sport.

"Of course, I am happy to score goals, I am not going to deny that, but the most important thing is the team and the team played good.

"It is unbelievable. When I started the game, I was so nervous, I swear. It is normally because I did not expect that they would sing my name all game.

"I was very nervous, maybe I didn't show, but I was. The reception is incredible but I am here to win games and help the team.

"It was unbelievable moment. I was super nervous and was thinking last night that I wanted to play good and show I was still capable of helping the team."

Make them proud

Away from United for over a decade as he established himself as one of the all-time greats during his spells with Real Madrid and Juventus, Ronaldo said he always retained a kinship with English football.

"This club is unbelievable and I am so proud. I am going to give everything to make them proud of me," he said.

"Everyone knows the football in England is different than in any part of the world and, to be honest, it is the most special one. I arrived here at 18 and they treated me unbelievably and that is why I am back."

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner lifted three Premier League titles and one Champions League during his six years with United in the Alex Ferguson era.

Now playing for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, his former United colleague, Ronaldo believes his team can challenge for their first English title since 2013.

United boss Solskjaer revealed Ronaldo gave a speech to his new teammates on the eve of the game and the Portugal striker said: "Everyone has to do his job.

"We have a fantastic team, a young team, with a fantastic coach, but we have to build up confidence.

"The team needs to be mature if we want to win the league and the Champions League but we are in a good way and I am here to help the team."

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Namibian Sun 2024-09-21

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LaLiga: Deportivo Alaves 2 vs 1 Sevilla | Leganés 0 vs 2 Athletic Club | Real Betis 2 vs 1 Getafe SerieA: Hellas Verona 2 vs 3 Torino | Cagliari 0 vs 2 Empoli European Championships Qualifying: Stoke City 1 vs 3 Hull City English Championship: Stoke City 1 vs 3 Hull City Katima Mulilo: 20° | 36° Rundu: 22° | 37° Eenhana: 18° | 38° Oshakati: 18° | 37° Ruacana: 18° | 36° Tsumeb: 22° | 35° Otjiwarongo: 15° | 33° Omaruru: 15° | 35° Windhoek: 15° | 31° Gobabis: 12° | 32° Henties Bay: 11° | 21° Wind speed: 18km/h, Wind direction: NW, Low tide: 07:11, High tide: 13:35, Low Tide: 19:41, High tide: 01:54 Swakopmund: 13° | 15° Wind speed: 21km/h, Wind direction: N, Low tide: 07:09, High tide: 13:33, Low Tide: 19:39, High tide: 01:52 Walvis Bay: 11° | 20° Wind speed: 21km/h, Wind direction: N, Low tide: 07:09, High tide: 13:32, Low Tide: 19:39, High tide: 01:51 Rehoboth: 11° | 32° Mariental: 12° | 34° Keetmanshoop: 11° | 31° Aranos: 11° | 33° Lüderitz: 13° | 21° Ariamsvlei: 10° | 30° Oranjemund: 14° | 30° Luanda: 22° | 24° Gaborone: 12° | 25° Lubumbashi: 19° | 35° Mbabane: 8° | 12° Maseru: 4° | 17° Antananarivo: 11° | 32° Lilongwe: 19° | 30° Maputo: 14° | 22° Windhoek: 15° | 31° Cape Town: 11° | 24° Durban: 13° | 18° Johannesburg: 6° | 19° Dar es Salaam: 23° | 30° Lusaka: 19° | 29° Harare: 13° | 28° Currency: GBP to NAD 23.26 | EUR to NAD 19.53 | CNY to NAD 2.48 | USD to NAD 17.5 | DZD to NAD 0.13 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.28 | EGP to NAD 0.35 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.65 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.16 | RUB to NAD 0.19 | INR to NAD 0.21 | USD to DZD 131.91 | USD to AOA 927.77 | USD to BWP 13.17 | USD to EGP 48.46 | USD to KES 128.48 | USD to NGN 1593.37 | USD to ZAR 17.41 | USD to ZMW 26.45 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index Same 0 | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1831.97 Down -0.38% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 14246.86 Up +0.44% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 30937.69 Up +1.96% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI 9651.25 Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 622.23/OZ UP +1.35% | Copper US$ 4.31/lb DOWN -0.0032 | Zinc US$ 2 884.80/T DOWN -0.23% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 74.74/BBP DOWN -0.0019 | Platinum US$ 976.09/OZ DOWN -0.0067 Sport results: LaLiga: Deportivo Alaves 2 vs 1 Sevilla | Leganés 0 vs 2 Athletic Club | Real Betis 2 vs 1 Getafe SerieA: Hellas Verona 2 vs 3 Torino | Cagliari 0 vs 2 Empoli European Championships Qualifying: Stoke City 1 vs 3 Hull City English Championship: Stoke City 1 vs 3 Hull City Weather: Katima Mulilo: 20° | 36° Rundu: 22° | 37° Eenhana: 18° | 38° Oshakati: 18° | 37° Ruacana: 18° | 36° Tsumeb: 22° | 35° Otjiwarongo: 15° | 33° Omaruru: 15° | 35° Windhoek: 15° | 31° Gobabis: 12° | 32° Henties Bay: 11° | 21° Wind speed: 18km/h, Wind direction: NW, Low tide: 07:11, High tide: 13:35, Low Tide: 19:41, High tide: 01:54 Swakopmund: 13° | 15° Wind speed: 21km/h, Wind direction: N, Low tide: 07:09, High tide: 13:33, Low Tide: 19:39, High tide: 01:52 Walvis Bay: 11° | 20° Wind speed: 21km/h, Wind direction: N, Low tide: 07:09, High tide: 13:32, Low Tide: 19:39, High tide: 01:51 Rehoboth: 11° | 32° Mariental: 12° | 34° Keetmanshoop: 11° | 31° Aranos: 11° | 33° Lüderitz: 13° | 21° Ariamsvlei: 10° | 30° Oranjemund: 14° | 30° Luanda: 22° | 24° Gaborone: 12° | 25° Lubumbashi: 19° | 35° Mbabane: 8° | 12° Maseru: 4° | 17° Antananarivo: 11° | 32° Lilongwe: 19° | 30° Maputo: 14° | 22° Windhoek: 15° | 31° Cape Town: 11° | 24° Durban: 13° | 18° Johannesburg: 6° | 19° Dar es Salaam: 23° | 30° Lusaka: 19° | 29° Harare: 13° | 28° Economic Indicators: Currency: GBP to NAD 23.26 | EUR to NAD 19.53 | CNY to NAD 2.48 | USD to NAD 17.5 | DZD to NAD 0.13 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.28 | EGP to NAD 0.35 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.65 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.16 | RUB to NAD 0.19 | INR to NAD 0.21 | USD to DZD 131.91 | USD to AOA 927.77 | USD to BWP 13.17 | USD to EGP 48.46 | USD to KES 128.48 | USD to NGN 1593.37 | USD to ZAR 17.41 | USD to ZMW 26.45 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index Same 0 | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1831.97 Down -0.38% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 14246.86 Up +0.44% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 30937.69 Up +1.96% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI 9651.25 Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 622.23/OZ UP +1.35% | Copper US$ 4.31/lb DOWN -0.0032 | Zinc US$ 2 884.80/T DOWN -0.23% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 74.74/BBP DOWN -0.0019 | Platinum US$ 976.09/OZ DOWN -0.0067