image: 4thegame

The roots of Ruud van Nistelrooy storming away from Old Trafford lie in a long running feud with Cristiano Ronaldo. European Soccer correspondent Graham Hunter told Setanta.com:

"In January, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Cristiano Ronaldo, who literally cannot stand the sight of each other, traded punches in training, and van Nistelrooy left Ronaldo with a broken face."

"The roots are from a serious bust-up on the training pitch the day before, over a perennial row between the two. Ronaldo held onto the ball too long in training, and van Nistelrooy asked again: "Why do you keep onto the ball, why don't you pass to me? I am in position, I am the striker. Get the ball to me."

"Ronaldo gives van Nistelrooy some lip, it ends up in a fight, and van Nistelrooy as he always does, needles into Ronaldo, and says "Yeah, yeah, go running to your Dad."

"He means Carlos Quieroz, Ferguson's assistant. Ronaldo's own father had died during the season, and finally, in the face of this abuse, Ronaldo burst into tears on the pitch and shouts "I don't have a Dad, he's dead."

In the article, Hunter also claims that it's Ronaldo, not van Nistelrooy who could be leaving Old Trafford.

"What Sir Alex may not know is that Cristiano Ronaldo is dead set on leaving Manchester United this summer, if Madrid will buy him. He personally has had enough of Manchester United, and English football. So, it may be that we are left with Ronaldo saying that he wants to go, and that van Nistelrooy and Ferguson may make their peace."

I can't see this happening. Ronaldo may or may not leave (though I don't know how Graham Hunter came across that rumour) but no one survives a bust up with Fergie and gets back into a Manchester United shirt do they? Especially not out of form forwards with their best years behind them.