Cristiano Ronaldo has appeared to send a message to Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag that he has learnt from the club's disciplinary action in his latest Instagram post.
Ronaldo recently stormed down the tunnel at Old Trafford after Manchester United's dominant two-goal victory over Tottenham – forcing boss Ten Hag to axe the star for the following trip to Chelsea last weekend. It is now anticipated that he will leave Old Trafford next year, and potentially as early as the January transfer window.
Ronaldo, 37, has been intent on departing United for the past four months after his high-profile return from Juventus last year failed to go to plan. Despite netting 24 goals across all competitions last season, the Red Devils' collective form nosedived, and they finished a distant sixth in the Premier League.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Portuguese star was widely criticised for his actions due to his refusal to come on as a substitute during the Spurs match. He did not hang around to congratulate his teammates on a fine performance either and undermined his manager's authority at the club.
However, Ten Hag appeared to come out of a difficult episode in a positive light. His decision to drop Ronaldo for one match, albeit a highly important one, underlined that it was the Dutchman who was in charge of United – and despite Ronaldo being the highest earner with the highest status in the playing squad, he would not be able to overrule the boss.
Ronaldo's exile from United training and the matchday squad was never going to be permanent, and he returned to train with his teammates this week and is now set to return to the squad for the Europa League clash against FC Sheriff at Old Trafford this week.
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Ronaldo wrote in on Instagram on Wednesday, alongside a picture of himself involved in a United training session ahead of the European encounter: "Back on track, with the same commitment and dedication as always!"
This appears to be a message to the club, to the fanbase, to the teammates and also, perhaps most significantly, to Ten Hag. The admission that he is now "back on track" suggests a degree of contrition for his actions and a promise to do better.
The 37-year-old has started just one of United's last nine Premier League matches and has fallen down the pecking order at the club behind Marcus Rashford and Antony Martial. However, a lack of depth ensures that Ronaldo is still likely to play a big part over the coming weeks for the club.
