Only ‘a club like Liverpool’ re-sign players – Nev

Matt Stead
Gary Neville Cristiano Ronaldo Man Utd
Gary Neville has advised Manchester United against re-signing Cristiano Ronaldo as only “a club like” Liverpool or Newcastle bring back former players.Ronaldo was linked with a summer a return to Old Trafford and there have been rumours recently that United could make a move to bring the 30-year-old forward back to the club.The Portugal star had a spectacular six-year spell at Old Trafford which ended in June 2009 when he signed for Real Madrid for  a world-record £80million and he has gone on to become a legend at the Bernabeu with a phenomenal goalscoring record with 326 goals in just 312 games for the La Liga giants.

Former Tottenham star Bale is also believed to be on Louis van Gaal’s shopping list and Sky Sports pundit Neville says it would be a shrewder move to bring in Bale, 26, than an emotion-led move for Ronaldo.

“I am not sure it is such a good thing for Cristiano to come back,” Neville told the Sunday People.

“The emotion says come back but do you remember when Newcastle used to bring back their old players to be manager?

“And then Liverpool started doing it and I thought “No. Let’s not start becoming a club like that” and this kind of pining for the past. I don’t really want that.

“I’d prefer us to get Gareth Bale and that’s no disrespect to Cristiano who I think is possibly the biggest talent I have ever played with – not the best player I ever played with – but the biggest talent.

“He is an amazing player and what he did for two years at United was out of this world and it was a privilege to be part of it.

“But the idea of coming back as his swansong… it won’t be the same for him as it was before.

“He does like warm weather. He likes the sun and we know that from when he was here. That’s not a criticism of him, he was just used to that.

“It will not be the same for him as it was before but it won’t be the same for us and I am not sure. It would be about emotion. And I am not sure emotion and sport go together really in that way.”

Manchester United Cristiano Ronaldo

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