Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United would represent a backward step for the club, writes NICK VAN RENSBURG.

Let’s forget for a moment the Portuguese superstar’s storied history with the Red Devils; let’s also put aside the more than 400 goals he’s scored for Real Madrid, the Champions League medals, La Liga titles, the Ballon d’Ors …

Ronaldo left Manchester in 2009 as arguably the greatest attacking talent of the Premier League era. He left to join the ‘club of his dreams’ and once there, set about fully actualising all his considerable genius for the peak years of his career.

There’s no doubt his return to United would guarantee goals, the one ingredient sorely lacking in their limp league challenge in the last campaign. His return may even bring about a first Premier League triumph for the Red Devils after four seasons of relative mediocrity.

The question United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward needs to ask himself though, is would the £100-million Ronaldo’s current employers demand, at the very least, represent good long-term value for a 32-year-old whose physical prowess will inevitably begin to tail off in the next two to three years, despite his legendary personal standards.

Ronaldo’s talent for scoring goals has allowed him to segway neatly into his new No 9 role with Los Blancos, requiring less relentless effort as he operates in bursts, expertly picking his moments to strike. It is in this position that he would inevitably operate were he to return. He would demand the team play around him, much in the same way Zlatan Ibrahimovic became such a focal point of the United attack in the last term.

The thing is, most observers would agree that United looked a more threatening team in Zlatan’s absence, despite the truck load of goals the Swede collected last season. Without his domineering presence on the pitch, his teammates looked more at ease in their play, with more movement, pace and creativity. Without the burden of having to feed every attacking opportunity through their No 9, the likes of Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and others seemed to thrive on the extra responsibility.

Ronaldo could have a similar suffocating effect, with his relentless thirst for personal glory inhibiting the development of his talented younger teammates.

There is also the very real possibility Ronaldo is using his link to United to land a new, even more lucrative contract with Real, just as their captain Sergio Ramos did when he felt the time had come for a pay bump. Woodward simply cannot allow the club to be used as a bargaining chip.

And what does it say of a club who purport to be one of the biggest in the world, with almost unlimited resources, that they would turn back to a player who left them fully eight years ago to restore former glories.

United has always been about renewal and creating new heroes: Best, Giggs, Beckham, Ronaldo. Never looking back, always looking forward.

Ronaldo’s days in a red shirt were glorious and will never be forgotten by those on the Old Trafford terraces, but his heroics belong in a different era. Like any ex-relationship, United’s hierarchy should remember the good times, but then put the photo album away and look to the future.