London (AFP)

Manchester United announced on Thursday that Cristiano Ronaldo will recover the number 7 he wore on his first stint, following several iconic Red Devils players.

"Manchester United can confirm that Cristiano Ronaldo will wear the iconic number 7 flocked jersey for his return to Old Trafford," wrote the club who brought the Portuguese striker back to Juventus at the very end of the summer transfer window.

"In his six seasons at the club, between 2003 and 2009, Ronaldo made 292 appearances and scored 118 goals, winning 9 trophies, including three league titles and the Champions League," the statement said.

Ronaldo, 36, had recovered the jersey David Beckham abandoned when he left Real Madrid, but which was also that of George Best, Bryan Robson or Eric Cantona before.

It is also an important decision on a marketing plan, "CR7" being a brand under which many products are marketed.

The holder of the fetish number was until then the Uruguayan Edinson Cavani, who wore it for the last time against Wolverhampton, last weekend.

But "El Matador" will now evolve with the number 21 which is the one he wears in selection, add the Red Devils.

Ronaldo's big comeback to the "Theater of Dreams" could take place on 11 September on the occasion of Newcastle's reception for Matchday 4 of the Premier League.

Author of a double that allowed Portugal to win on the wire against Ireland (2-1) Wednesday night in Faro (south), the five-time Golden Ball thus scored his 110th and 111th goals in 180 international matches to overtake Iranian Ali Daei and achieve the world record for national goals.

Suspended for the next qualifying match against Arbaijan next Tuesday, Ronaldo was also exempted from the friendly against Qatar in Hungary on Saturday, and left the national team rally.

© 2021 AFP