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| Cristiano Ronaldo has been linked with a return to Manchester United |
DAVID BECKHAM has urged Cristiano Ronaldo to return to Manchester United - if he decides to quit Real Madrid.
Beckham says he “would have crawled back” to Old Trafford if he had ever been given the chance after leaving for Real in 2003.
And he thinks United are the only club Ronaldo, 30, should consider finishing his career with despite Chelsea and Paris St Germain showing interest in luring the Portugal super star away from the Bernabeu.
Beckham said: “I’d never advise anyone against coming back to United. I’d have crawled back if I could. Cristiano is such a fans’ favourite and was so successful here as well as being such a hard worker.
“Everyone you talk to who has played with him, been around his world, say he’s not just one of the most talented players in the game, he’s a hard worker as well.
“If he decides to leave Real then, for me personally, it’s back to United. I never had the opportunity to do that but I’m proud of the teams I played for after leaving United.
“Obviously given the chance once I’d left United, to have played for one of the biggest clubs in the world – Real Madrid – that was a dream. But I’d never advise any player not to return to United.”
Ronaldo’s return would provide United with the X-factor their football has lacked under Louis Van Gaal, whose tactics have come under fire from ex-players like Paul Scholes and fans this season.
Scholes declared recently that he wouldn’t enjoy playing in Van Gaal’s team and Beckham, who will be back at Old Trafford today in a UNICEF fundraising game, admits that winning is not enough for United, they have to do it with style, although he accepts the club is going through a transitional period.
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| David Beckham has urged Ronaldo to return to Old Trafford |
He added: “Everyone's got their own opinions on this team now. It's hard to say because at the end of the day I would play for United no matter what team it is or whoever is the manager. No, it's not just about winning trophies here, the style definitely matters. It's embedded into this club.
“We've always played with a certain style, with a certain passion, and I think when you play for Manchester United and are around the club you realise that.
”Style is important, but you have to play with a certain passion. Not every team is going to be the same. We were spoiled to be part of an era that gave us that chance.
“We had such great success for so many years and when clubs go through a transition period it's always going to be difficult, especially when you're Manchester United.
“When you support this club, you always want to see the club win trophies and play the game in a certain way.”
Beckham says the tactics in his time under Sir Alex Ferguson’s management were simple but effective.
He added: “I think the style of football obviously has changed over the years, even when I was playing. It was a case of 'you need fast wingers to get to the bye line and cross it.' Fortunately, we had players like Ryan Giggs, Lee Sharpe and Andre Kanchelskis who could all go past defenders.
“I was lucky that the time I came into the team, it was about Roy Keane winning the ball in midfield, giving it to the wide players and we just needed a yard to cross it and then you had the likes of Eric Cantona, Andy Cole, Teddy Sheringham or Dwight Yorke in the middle – and that was our game.
“But there's so many things that have changed over in recent years - the boss [Ferguson] leaving, Giggsy finishing, Keany finishing, myself, Scholesy, Butty, the Nevs... there's so many things that have changed.”
Beckham will captain a Gt Britain and Ireland XI – managed by Ferguson and including most of his “Class of 92” team-mates – against a Rest of the World team skippered by Zinedine Zidane in front of a sell-out crowd at Old Trafford.
It will be his seventh game in 10 days on seven different continents to raise awareness and funds for UNICEF, the United Nations childrens’ charity.
Beckham has played in Papua New Guinea, Nepal, Djibouti, Argentina, Antartica and Miami.
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