Manchester United confirm Cristiano Ronaldo WILL wear the iconic No 7 shirt after sealing an emotional return to Old Trafford and Edinson Cavani will switch to No 21
- Premier League granted permission for Cristiano Ronaldo to reclaim the jersey
- Edinson Cavani had worn the shirt last season and in Sunday’s win at Wolves
- Striker will switch to No 21 after Dan James left to join Leeds in a £30m deal
- Portuguese superstar thanked his new teammate for the ‘incredible’ gesture
Manchester United have confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo will wear the iconic No 7 jersey after sealing an emotional return to Old Trafford.
Striker Edinson Cavani, who had worn the shirt last season and in the 1-0 away win at Wolves on Sunday, will switch to the No 21 shirt vacated by Dan James, who joined Leeds in a £30m move last week.
Cavani was happy to take the same number he has worn for much of his international career with Uruguay and Ronaldo thanked his teammate for the ‘incredible’ gesture.
Manchester United have confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo will wear the iconic No 7 jersey
‘I was not sure if it would be possible to have the number seven shirt again,’ Ronaldo admitted. ‘So I would like to say a huge thank you to Edi for this incredible gesture.’
The Old Trafford giants have confirmed the striker’s return to his old shirt number after being granted permission from the Premier League.
Ronaldo’s Old Trafford return was finally confirmed on Tuesday, with the Portugal star completing his dramatic move from Juventus and becoming a United player for the second time in his career.
United have splashed out £12.9m on the 36-year-old with £6.9m to follow in add-ons
The No 7 shirt has a rich history at Old Trafford after previously been worn by icons like George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona and David Beckham.
The Portuguese superstar famously wore the legendary shirt number during his first spell at United between 2003 and 2009.
In his first six seasons at the club, Ronaldo made 292 appearances and scored 118 goals, winning nine trophies including three Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League.
Ronaldo wore the legendary shirt number during his first spell between 2003 and 2009
United have splashed out £12.9m on the 36-year-old with £6.9m to follow in add-ons.
Ronaldo has put pen to paper on a two-year deal with an option for a further year after passing a medical in Lisbon at the weekend. It could see him playing for United until he is 39.
And the Red Devils can look forward to witnessing Ronaldo back in his shirt in their next Premier League fixture against Newcastle on September 11.
Ronaldo thanked his new United teammate Edinson Cavani for the ‘incredible’ gesture
Tickets for the game have been selling online for thousands of pounds.
Ronaldo was expected to fly to Manchester to begin training after he was allowed to leave the Portugal camp early.
Ronaldo was booked and collected a one-match ban for removing his shirt celebrating scoring the winner against Republic of Ireland.
It meant he is suspended for Portugal’s next World Cup qualifier in Azerbaijan on Tuesday, so coach Fernando Santos has decided not to play his captain in Saturday’s friendly away to Qatar.
Uruguay star was happy to take same number he has worn for much of his international career
