As most football fans will know, last night Cristiano Ronaldo returned to the stadium where he made his mark on the world stage for Manchester United and began his journey to the pinnacle of football.
On his latest visit to Old Trafford, CR7's Juventus side won 1 - 0 thanks to a first half Paulo Dybala goal, but that was almost secondary to the fanfare surrounding the return of Cristiano to the stadium where he went from floppy haired kid to genuine world beater.
Ronaldo's drastic transformation as a footballer is, in no small part, a product of the faith that was put in him from a very early stage in his career by the Manchester United manager at the time, Sir Alex Ferguson.
Last night, after his side had emerged victorious, the Portugal captain found some time to catch up with old friends and pay thanks for their efforts to develop him into the player that he has become.
Cristiano posted a picture of himself stood in Old Trafford with his old gaffer. He captioned it: "A great coach and above all a wonderful man. Taught me so many things inside and outside the pitch. Great to see you in good shape, Boss!"
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Heart-warming stuff. Especially given Sir Alex's recent health complications.
The photo also probably represents the happiest that Sir Alex has ever been seen looking following a Manchester United defeat. Perhaps he's going soft in his old age.
Cristiano scored 118 goals in 292 appearances for the Red Devils on his way to winning nine trophies for the club. That includes lifting three Premier League titles, the FA Cup, the Club World Cup, and - perhaps most significantly of all - the Champion's League in 2008, a match in which he scored.
Ronaldo signed off from the club with defeat in the 2009 Champion's League final against a Lionel Messi inspired Barcelona. He would go on to have a few more battles with Messi over the coming years, it's fair to say.
Before he signed for Juve for £105m this summer, there had been rumours that he would make a return to Manchester United. Whilst these rumours proved untrue, the red half of Manchester is obviously still special to him.
Before yesterday's game, he said: "I won trophies here - cups, leagues, Champions League. I remember the support as well. The support is fantastic."
He continued: "Here I have many memories of victories and affection and in particular with Sir Alex Ferguson, to whom I send a big hug.
"He is someone I will never ever forget, and I'd like to express my best possible wishes to him. He is a person who helped me so much."
Even after all these years, it's nice to see that he hasn't forgotten the people who made him the player he is.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: SPORT, Football, Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson, cr7, Old Trafford, Cristiano Ronaldo
