'Ronaldo didn't come back for pressing!' - Man Utd should have let CR7 go in the summer but his legacy hasn't been tarnished, insists Keane

• Ronaldo left United by mutual consent
• Keane feels he should have been 'treated differently'
• Argues that United reputation isn't tarnished

WHAT HAPPENED? Speaking ahead of Germany's World Cup clash against Japan, Keane came out in defence of the forward, arguing that he shouldn't have been used as a fringe player and that the fiasco could have been easily avoided by selling him in the summer. Keane then underlined the things Ronaldo has achieved as a player, claiming that his reputation at United hasn't been tarnished.

WHAT THEY SAID: "It has been on cards for the last few months," Keane told ITV. "The interview was the tipping point. He should have left in the summer, the new manager was never going to play him. You cannot have Ronaldo as a fringe player, it is just not right. You have to the treat the top players differently.

"I don’t want to go down the road again about pressing, Ronaldo did not come back to the club to do that, he came back to score goals. I think it is really straightforward, people say is his reputation at United tarnished. Far from it. United fans aren’t daft. Ronaldo will go down as one of the greatest players. It has not ended well, but that’s life."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: United revealed they would be parting ways with Ronaldo after the two reached an agreement on the player's premature contract termination. Keane's comments contrast greatly to former teammate Paul Scholes, whose post on social media appeared relieved that the Portugal international was gone.

IN TWO PHOTOS:

Getty Images

Getty Images

WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO? Ronaldo will try and avoid all the noise off the pitch - the latest of which was a fine and suspension for smashing a fan's phone back in April - and lead Portugal out in their World Cup campaign, which kicks off against Ghana on Thursday.