Cristiano Ronaldo returns to Man U, Rio Ferdinand speculates if he'll wear jersey No. 7

Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford after 12 years, all set to represent Manchester United. While the Portuguese football star eagerly looks forward to making a tremendous impact for the 'Red Devils' yet again, Ronaldo's former Man United teammate Rio Ferdinand explains the possibilities of 'ÇR7' donning jersey number seven. Ferdinand talks about Ronaldo's Jersey No. 7 The Portuguese football megastar used to wear the jersey number seven during his first stint with Manchester United. However, that is currently being worn by veteran forward Cavani. Meanwhile, Rio Ferdinand reckons that Cavani might have given up the iconic jersey since the 'Red Devils' are all set to welcome Ronaldo onboard. "Just to think Cavani could be the back-up for Ronaldo, it’s unbelievable. Cavani, I have to say, what a man! He saw who was coming to town and gave up the No.7 shirt", said Ferdinand while interacting on his FIVE YouTube show. "At the end of the day, you know what the problem might be is that the shirts have been registered, maybe. And that might be an issue. So he might not be able to wear No.7. So we’ll see", he added. The legacy behind Man United's Jersey No. 7 Cristiano Ronaldo rose to fame during his time at Manchester United with his blistering form and sensational displays along the flanks at Old Trafford. The then-rising star, after winning almost every possible title, departed for Real Madrid in 2009 for a then world-record transfer of £80 million ($100 million) after establishing a Man United No. 7 legacy of his own, something that has stood firm despite the shifting sands in the red half of Manchester. None of the successive Man United jersey No. 7 holders have been able to fill the gaping hole left by Ronaldo since. After it was agreed that Cristiano Ronaldo was set to embark on a new journey at the Spanish capital, Man United decided to pass on the No 7 shirt to Michael Owen. However, the former Liverpool star couldn’t produce the magic that the crowd at Old Trafford expected when he donned his new jersey for the first time. His three-season stint with Red Devils was marked by a mix of injuries and poor form. He managed to score a mere five goals in the Premier League until he departed for Stoke City in 2012, although one of them was the winner in a tense Manchester derby. After Owen’s departure, the likes of Antonio Valencia, Cristiano Ronaldo’s former teammate Angel Di Maria and Memphis Depay all donned the Man United No. 7 shirt. However, the three footballers, who otherwise are considered exceptional talents, could not score more than six goals combined while managing 90 appearances collectively. Di Maria, in particular, turned out to be an arguably bigger disappointment. The former Real Madrid star was signed with the hope that he would replicate his form at Old Trafford as he did for Los Blancos while playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. Expectations were through the roof for Alexis Sanchez when the Chilean forward arrived from Arsenal in 2018. However, the former Barcelona striker couldn’t step it up for Man United when he put on the No. 7 shirt. Alexis Sanchez scored thrice in 32 appearances before being loaned out to Inter Milan. The total of five players that have tried to succeed Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford couldn’t manage to score more than 15 goals in the Premier League. As a matter of fact, Ronaldo alone scored 84 goals in the Premier League, truly establishing an unrivalled legacy at Old Trafford.

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Cristiano Ronaldo returns to Man U, Rio Ferdinand speculates if he'll wear jersey No. 7

Cristiano Ronaldo's former Man United team-mate Rio Ferdinand talks about 'CR7' donning the iconic jersey No. 7 during his second stint at the club

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