The Return of Cristiano Ronaldo

The time has finally come. Real Madrid will travel to Manchester, England tomorrow to face Manchester United in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals. With the two clubs having played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg in the Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid find themselves facing elimination with Manchester United possessing the almighty away-goal tiebreaker. But all of this will take a back seat to the main storyline of the fixture - the homecoming of Cristiano Ronaldo to Old Trafford.

Then and now: Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Bolton on his Manchester United debut in 2002 (top)
 and vs FC Barcelona in the 1st leg of the 2013 Copa Del Rey semifinals (bottom).
Photo  credit:  www.guardian.co.uk (top); www.ronaldo7.net (bottom)

As I'm sure you know, Ronaldo is generally regarded to be one of the best two football players in the world right now along with Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona. Ronaldo was sold to Real Madrid from Manchester United in the summer of 2009 for a world record transfer fee of £80 million, but not before becoming a Premier League legend with the Red Devils. During his time at Old Trafford, Ronaldo won 3 Premier League  titles, 1 FA Cup, 1 UEFA Champions League, 1 FIFA Club World Cup, 2 Barclays Player of the Year Awards, 1 FIFA World Player of the Year Award, and 1 Ballon d'Or.

Ronaldo is still held in high regards by Manchester United supporters and he is sure to receive a standing ovation when he steps on the Old Trafford pitch for the first time in four years. It will be a very special moment for him, the supporters, and football fans all across the world. And with that, I leave you with a video of his Manchester United debut almost ten years ago. Here's to a great spectacle tomorrow.