RON YOUR BIKE!

Old Trafford exit is a huge win for Ten Hag, but a sad end for an icon

-  TYRONE MARSHALL

FROM the moment Erik ten Hag settled into his seat for the flight back from London 10 days ago and watched the first clips of Cristiano Ronaldo's explosive interview with Piers Morgan, he would have known this moment was coming.

If the United manager's first question on hearing his player had done an unauthorised chat was 'Piers who?', the second would have been 'how do we put an end to this once and for all?!

Too much of Ten Hag's time at the club so far has involved dealing with Ronaldo.

The 37-year-old has dominated every press conference, for good or, mostly, bad, and his shadow has loomed large over everything the new manager has tried to do since joining in the summer.

From his camp making it clear he wanted to leave Old Trafford on the eve of Ten Hag's first day of pre-season training, to his refusal to come on as a substitute against Tottenham, to this extraordinary interview, the one-time Reds idol has been nothing but problematic to his new manager.

But this was always going to be the final straw. Sources have confirmed Ten Hag was heavily involved in the decision to end Ronaldo's time at the club. He couldn't allow him to destroy the togetherness he has fostered in the dressing room.

There was a time when his goalscoring record was so stunning that you could tolerate the ego and the selfishness, but three goals this season are hardly worthy of the special treatment the Portugal forward has constantly demanded.

Speaking to Morgan, he said he was too good to play three minutes against Spurs, but the reality is he's barely been too good for anybody this term.

United have looked a better team without the static, slowing Ronaldo up front this season and he has found that difficult to deal with.