Cristiano Ronaldo’s homecoming to Manchester United wouldn’t have been completed without the 36-year-old wearing the legendary No7 shirt once again.
Earlier on Thursday, the club confirmed that Ronaldo had been given the No7, with Edinson Cavani instead wearing the vacant No21 shirt following the departure of Daniel James to Leeds United.
Perhaps a testament to Cavani’s nature as a person, the Uruguay international seems to have given up the number with little fuss as he receives a heartfelt message from the returning superstar.
“I wasn’t sure if it would be possible to have the number seven shirt again,” Ronaldo is quoted as saying by Manchester United, as seen below. “So I would like to say a huge thank you to Edi (Cavani) for this incredible gesture.”
A mark of the man ❤️@ECavaniOfficial 🤝 @Cristiano#MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 2, 2021
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Furthermore, the gesture from Cavani further points towards good squad harmony at the club. Previously, especially under Jose Mourinho, number changes have proven to be difficult. Particularly, an incident in 2016 when Zlatan Ibrahimovic took Anthony Martial’s No9 proved to not be popular with Frenchman.
With the logistics confirmed, the focus can now be turned towards Ronaldo’s second debut. The game against Newcastle on September 11 has been earmarked for the occasion but it remains to be seen whether he features.
