Cristiano Ronaldo’s second spell at Old Trafford ended on a sour note (Picture: Getty Images)

Former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke believes Cristiano Ronaldo wanted to lead the club back to glory and when he was not trusted to do so he felt he had to leave.

Ronaldo’s second spell at Old Trafford ended in quite bizarre fashion after he chose to do a headline-grabbing interview with Piers Morgan, slamming the club and manager Erik ten Hag.

His contract was terminated by mutual consent and he has since signed for Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr where he is expected to earn around £173-per-year as the highest-paid footballer ever.

The 37-year-old became increasingly frustrated at United under Ten Hag as he was reduced to being a substitute in the Premier League and Yorke believes his frustrations were because he thought he was perfectly placed to lead the side back to glory but was not given the opportunity.

‘I know that there was someone who is really passionate and really loves Manchester United, and wanted to take Manchester United back to the top,’ Yorke told The National. ‘But he clearly felt that the only way he could help the club get anywhere near that, I think he needed to be the leader.

‘And I think, with Harry Maguire not being fully in the fold, I felt that Ronaldo didn’t think that was the right call; that he felt he should have led. Being the top scorer, he felt he didn’t get enough respect, because without him last year, United would have been nowhere near.

‘I think he feels he doesn’t get enough credit, that there’s a lot of criticism coming his way; the way he went about things with the Piers Morgan interview and speaking openly about it. But I think he got to the point where he had enough. He saw that the club was not heading in the direction he wanted it to. He wanted to lead and wasn’t given that opportunity, so it just boiled over.’

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‘I think he feels he doesn’t get enough credit.’