Gunslinger can make Ole's men big shots again

ACE CAN RESURRECT UNITED

THE second coming of Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United promises to be an even bigger blockbuster than his first glittering spell at the Theatre of Dreams.

When Ronaldo left United for Real Madrid in 2009 for a then-world record fee of £80m, Sir Alex Ferguson’s side had just won a third successive Premier League title.

They had also reached a second straight Champions League final, losing the title they won in 2008 and were one of the dominant football forces in Europe, certainly at the pinnacle of the English game.

Yet since Ronaldo’s exit and Ferguson’s subsequent departure in 2013, United have been mired in mediocrity, winning the odd cup competition but failing to challenge in the Premier League and the Champions League.

Ronaldo’s sensational return – two decades after he arrived at Old Trafford as a relative unknown, buck-toothed, brace-wearing spotty teenager with awkwardly-gelled hair – could ultimately take United back to the summit of English and European football.

Bringing one of the greatest players in their illustrious history back into the fold, even at the age of 36, could prove a game-changer for United this season, one that blows their rivals out of the water.