MAN UNITED FAN VIEW: Viva Ronaldo - now to bring back the glory days too!

Cristiano Ronaldo stunned the world of football by packing his bags and leaving Juventus with a year left of his deal.

Manchester City, smarting from their failed pursuit of Harry Kane, looked to be his landing spot before an old flame in Manchester United got involved.

With Sir Alex Ferguson, Bruno Fernandes, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra in his ear it was agreed that Ronaldo would make an emotional homecoming to Old Trafford.

United fan and writer Scott Paterson, of the Republik of Mancunia website, discusses exactly what a Ronaldo return means to the supporters.

The intensity of reaction to news that Cristiano Ronaldo was nailed on to sign for Manchester City depended on the age of the Manchester United fan you were talking to.

For those that had grown up in the era when Sir Alex Ferguson displaced Jose Mourinho and his Chelsea side that had looked to dominate indefinitely, seeing Ronaldo develop from a skinny teenager in to the world's best player, it was utter devastation.

The older United fan might have tried to style it out, claiming they had expected no loyalty from Ronaldo, and he was past his best anyway, but there was no getting away from the fact it was really bad news for United. And embarrassing too.

Ronaldo had been the catalyst for so much success at the club, during that period which again saw us win the Premier League three years on the bounce with a Champions League title and other trophies thrown in for good measure, and to see him in the blue of City would have been sickening.

Social media was full of gloating City fans, already counting down the days until the first derby game in November, rubbing salt in the wounds of United fans. The thought of just seeing him in their shirt was bad enough, let alone the possibility of him scoring against us.

We've been here before though, with Carlos Tevez, but he had left nowhere near the impressive mark on the club that Ronaldo had, and ultimately United won more than them in the years he was at the Etihad anyway.

But Ronaldo represented so much more and had a much greater affinity with the support, who still sing his name on match days now. He's up there with the very best players to ever represent United and it doesn't matter how far away he now is from his peak, he can still do damage, and watching him lift trophies with our rivals would have been unbearable.

Thankfully, the 24-hour nightmare is over, and not only did Ronaldo snub City's advances, he opted to return to Old Trafford instead, in a move that will take United fans some time to believe.

The adrenaline that built over the course of Friday, with whispers starting in the morning that Ronaldo would be playing for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and not Pep Guardiola, was off the scale.

Ferguson reportedly put in a phone call, with Bruno Fernandes working his magic too, and devastation has turned in to delight. Ronaldo is a red, again.

'To play for City, not United? I'm not going to do that,' Ronaldo said in 2013. 'Why? Because my heart's in Manchester United, that's why.'

Thankfully, the legendary player was true to his word and rejected City's advances for the opportunity to play at Old Trafford once more.

Of course, we don't actually need another forward, we need a defensive midfielder, but when a player of Ronaldo's quality and legacy becomes available, the club would have been silly to ignore the opportunity.

At 36, Ronaldo's best years are behind him, even if he will still have his eye on a sixth Ballon d'Or before he retires, but with 36 goals in all competitions last season, there's clearly life in the old dog yet.

He was the top scorer in Serie A, with five more goals in less playing time than Chelsea's £98m signing Romelu Lukaku, and his mentality will see him do all he can to shine in the Premier League once more.

Having provided so much excitement and glory at the beginning of his career at Old Trafford, now he gets to play a role of leading the line but also inspiring and motivating the players around him.

As one of the greatest ever, you can only imagine the lift it will have on the dressing room to have Ronaldo as their team-mate. For Fernandes in particular, who grew up idolising his compatriot, as well as the younger players like Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood, the impact could be immense.

What I'd give to see the group chat when Ronaldo's signing was announced. They'll be buzzing as much as the fans are.

This deal doesn't come without its drawbacks. Ronaldo turns 37 this season and after so many years away from the fast-paced football in England, we shouldn't expect to see the same player who used to tear down United's right wing.

But he has made adjustments to his game already, as you would expect over time, and if there's any player in the world you could expect to see put in the graft to be the best, it's Ronaldo.

His salary will be huge, he is known to throw a temper tantrum when things aren't going his way and it's always all about him. But when you consider the boost his presence brings, nobody could argue bringing him back isn't worth any possible risk.

We may have to wait until next month before we see Ronaldo on the pitch and just the thought of it is enough to bring out goosebumps.

The atmosphere for the opening game of the season, when United beat Leeds 5-1, was electric. Having been denied a full capacity crowd for 18 months, playing a fierce rival for the first time in years, but also starting the day with the surprise unveiling of Raphael Varane, there was an incredible amount of emotion in the stands. It's hard to imagine what level that will be taken to when Ronaldo walks out on the turf wearing our shirt again.

Viva Ronaldo! He's back! And United supporters will be hoping he can bring about a return of those glory days with him.