Cristiano Ronaldo made his return to Premier League action last week, and the Portuguese superstar stole the show when scoring two goals in his second debut for Manchester United.
But as we look into the future of EPL results and league positioning, how much weight will CR7s return to Old Trafford raise the squad’s potential? Join us in previewing Ronaldo and the fortune of Manchester United through the eyes of football’s legends.
And it’s hard to disagree with the former England striker when Ronaldo has already bagged three goals in three games.
Sheringham, who owns the record as the oldest player to score a Premier League hattrick, believes that Ronaldo will continue his impressive scoring form.
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“I think he can keep it up,” Sheringham told reporters.
“Once you get past 36, with the ups and downs of the Premier League, it’s tough being kicked and getting yourself up for the next game.
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“But he knows what it’s all about and knows how to score a goal – he’s going to be alright.
“The main thing when you get to 33 or 34 is to make sure that you’re not carrying any weight, and he’s definitely not doing that. He’s also not had any significant injuries, and he’s still got the desire. Those three things are massive if you want to carry on playing.
“It’s got nothing to do with the money. He wants to enjoy getting the most out of his body and getting the most out of his career. I can see him carrying on like this throughout the season, next season and possibly even until he’s 39 as well.”
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Ronaldo was the icing on the cake during a busy transfer window where the Red Devils had also acquired the services of Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane.
But Ronaldo, he’s something else, and there is a long list of players who’ve overstayed their prime years to continue at a high level in the Premier League. Still, none of them has looked as physically strong or been as mentally stable as CR7.
Wayne Rooney (Manchester United 2004-2017)
One of the greatest to ever grace the field at Old Trafford believes Ronaldo will assist his former club in challenging the Premier League title this term. And who better than former teammate of Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, to give his opinion on the player he won countless trophies with.
“Obviously, I follow Manchester United, I want them to do well, and I think it’s great for them that they’ve brought Cristiano back,” Rooney told The Mirror.
“His mentality will rub off on the younger players, especially, so I think it’s a great signing.
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“Cristiano will know himself it’s not going to be as simple or straightforward for him as it was in Spain or Italy.
“It’s a physical league, but he knows that because he’s played in it before, so I’m sure he’s prepared and ready to go and score goals again for United.
“We saw, in the game against Ireland, what he does. In the last couple of minutes, he scores a couple of goals and great headers to have a massive impact on the Premier League.
“I think United are finally ready to go and challenge for the title, and I feel they have to, this year.
“So, Cristiano’s going to be a huge player, I think he’s going to have big moments in the season, and I’m sure he’ll score a lot of goals.”
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (Manchester United 1996-2007)
Former United star and current manager of the club, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, could be the perfect man for the job when utilising Ronaldo in and at the correct times. We should also put some faith in his predictions for CR7 within the season; who knows him better right now?
When it comes to goals, Ronaldo has been persistent in scoring since his second season with Sporting CP in 2003, and we shouldn’t expect anything different during the 2021/22 EPL season. Bet365 Sportsbook will be offering some of the most value on odds for Ronaldo ending up as top goalscorer, but it’ll still be less than most because he’s that damn good. And of course, his most extensive supported Ole Gunnar expects the brilliance to continue.
“Yes, you know. It’s about his longevity and sustainability and his professionalism and his quality,” Solskjaer told Manchester United’s in-house media crew.
“He scored again, and I’m sure he’ll score more goals for us.”
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The Manchester 24 Hour Run raises over £70,000 for the region’s homeless community
Danny Jones
The numbers are in for the 2025 Manchester 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness, which saw hordes of runners take over the city centre to generate money for the ever-crucial cause.
Having set an ambitious target of £50,000, not only did they manage to achieve their goal, they absolutely SMASHED it, totalling more than £70k.
In fact, with last-minute donations and matching contributions still trickling in over a fortnight on from this year’s event, the final figure is actually set to surpass that by several thousands.
Simply incredible stuff. Speaking on the night, here’s what the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, had to say about another inspiring edition of the annual endurance relay.
Running in the wind and rain, dashing through puddles in the cold, the pitch black and all through the night into the fresh cold Manc morning this month, more than a thousand volunteers, locals, businesses, and more laced up their trainers for the seventh edition in six years.
For those unaware, this event is a recurring 5k relay loop around Manchester, with the route designed to run around parts of the city centre where you can witness homelessness first-hand.
Taking place in November every year – when the region is even more dark, grey and wet than usual – this also gives participants an opportunity to further empathise with the discomfort felt by rough sleepers.
Well over 4,000 individuals and 165 organisations have taken part in this initiative since 2019, funding more than 70,000 nights of accommodation through the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity and its ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme. That tally is set to jump massively, once again, after this year’s run.
Here’s how the 2025 stats on the tarmac break down:
100 running clubs and organisations
Over 1,500 individual runners and walkers
44 x five-kilometre consecutive relay laps run
Over £188,700* raised across all events and years.
Multiple sponsors, including Autotrader, Accenture and Mistral
Credit: Ed Hill (supplied)
In 2025, the 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness also successfully expanded to Sheffield and Hereford for the first time, as well as returning to Birmingham for its second year.
The event unites local running communities to support local organisations. Better still, in 2026, the event is expected to expand again; for instance, after a rescheduling, the event is heading over to Yorkshire once more for the inaugural edition of The Leeds 24 Hour Run in March 2026.
Reflecting on the event’s seventh year, The 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness co-founder, Thomas Lewis, says: “Every year I think we’ve hit our peak in terms of fundraising and turnout, and every year we somehow manage to surpass it. I’m completely blown away by the support and dedication of the Manchester running community. Bring on next year.”
Fran Darlington-Pollock, the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity’s outgoing CEO, added: “We’re so proud to continue supporting this incredible event and all the hard work that goes into making it such a success year after year.
“The passion and dedication of the organisers, runners, and supporters are truly inspiring, and we’re so grateful for the funds raised, which help people experiencing homelessness through A Bed Every Night.”
Anyone still wanting to make a donation can do so by visiting The 24 Hour Run website and the attached JustGiving page HERE, which will remain open for a few weeks following the event.
There are plenty of other ways we can help fight homelessness throughout the year, and it’s by pursuing vital causes like this that we truly put the great in Greater Manchester.
Greater Manchester stadiums included in the bid to host the Women’s World Cup confirmed
Danny Jones
The locations for the official UK bid to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup have been revealed, along with the Greater Manchester football stadiums chosen for the honour.
Not exactly a ground-breaking spoiler, but the FA did make a somewhat curious choice when they shared the news.
In case you hadn’t heard the news earlier this year, our nation has officially thrown its hat into the ring for the Women’s World Cup (WWC) in 2035, with England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all set to offer up their arenas as part of the record-breaking proposal.
Naturally, a region as footy-obsessed as ours and with two of the biggest stadiums in the country was always going to be included, but as mentioned, there was a particular detail that lots of people quickly noticed following the announcement.
Yes, in a slightly bizarre but ultimately innocuous turn of events, Etihad Stadium – home of Manchester City FC – has been selected, as was the world-famous ‘Theatre of Dreams‘, the only difference being that it was listed separately from the city itself.
Instead, Man United’s iconic home turf, Old Trafford, has been listed as just that: in Trafford, specifically, as opposed to simply being listed in the same section as its sky blue counterpart.
Now, while it’s true that all 10 boroughs have their own identity, culture (not to mention some subscribing to still being part of Lancashire or even Cheshire), it did strike us and others as a bit odd to put that rather iconic and equally historic venue down as almost separate from the city.
Many would argue that one of the things Manchester is best known for around the globe is the team of Red Devils that play at that ground.
Naturally, ‘Cityzens‘ have had their fair share of fun with the post and, conversely, there’s been plenty of retorts regarding ‘supporters from Stockport’, as you would expect…
Nevertheless, we’re just glad to see the Etihad and Old Trafford continuing to cater to some of the biggest dates on the sporting calendar.
Some have actually argued that the region should have been given opportunities to host more stadiums and/or games as part of the market pitch, as the likes of both Bolton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic’s stadiums were floated as viable or even better alternatives, capacity-wise.
Either way, with the 22 venues that have been selected for the UK’s bid for the 2035 Women’s World Cup and us Brits currently unopposed in the race to secure the tournament, the FA are going all-in for the 48-team competition, which would be “the biggest single-sport event ever staged in the UK.”
You can read more down below.
Our shared ambition: to host the largest single-sport event ever staged in the UK, and the first FIFA World Cup in this country since 1966.#AllTogetherpic.twitter.com/y6GOPEPDdG
The Manc -
21st September 2021 
