CRISTIANO RONALDO has packed in his Italian Job and returned to Manchester to complete a fairytale transfer.
But his life off the pitch will be very different from when he first signed for the Red Devils as a fresh-faced 18 year old in 2003 – and to how it has been for the last 11 years.
Ronaldo was heralded by then United boss Sir Alex Ferguson as one of the greatest talents in the game.
And the great man was spot on as the Portuguese ace has cemented himself as one of the best ever.
The 36-year-old will rock up the British shores with stunning partner Georgina Rodriguez and his four children.
Here, SunSport checks out what life could be like for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner back in the Premier League as he once again swaps the sun-soaked Med for Manchester.
A TASTE OF ITALY
There will be plenty of Italian restaurant options available for Ronaldo if he starts to miss the food.
Ronaldo once waited 40 minutes for a table in Turin and was described by chef Davide Fiore as a ‘decent boy’ for not kicking up a fuss.
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But there’s no chance he will be left waiting if he decides to eat at old pal Rio Ferdinand’s restaurant Rosso.
The upmarket Italian eatery is at the top of Manchester’s prestigious King Street, and it shouldn’t put too much of a dent in £500,000-a-week Ronaldo’s wallet.
The cheapest pizza on the menu is £15, but Ronny might fancy ‘splashing out’ on the £80 chateubriand.
SAIL AWAY
Ronaldo spends a lot of time on board his £5.5m superyacht floating in the idyllic Italian waters.
But now he can sample a river cruise on the Manchester Ship Canal with a private hire boat for just £230 an hour.
And these can come fully serviced with staff to cater for the multi-millionaires and even a DJ for entertainment.
But for the ultimate luxury barge experience, Ronaldo could hire Prestige Worldwide’s six-berth beauty.
The Vatten Hus has two king-sized bedrooms and rich furnishings throughout.
And it’s on Airbnb for only £250 a night. Surely no better way to view the delights of the north west.
HOME COMFORTS
Ronaldo will be swapping his secluded Turin mansion for a huge home in the UK.
And he could well plump for the footballer-packed village of Alderley Edge.
His old Manchester United team-mates Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, David Beckham and Dwight Yorke have all lived in the leafy location.
And Ronaldo will know his way around – he used to live in a £3.5m home in the area when he was first at United.
That had five large bedrooms, an indoor swimming pool, steam room, jacuzzi, gym and cinema room.
But that might not be big enough any more.
The good news for the former Juventus star is there is currently a stunning £6.5m mansion up for sale on Rightmove with 9,500 sq ft to play with.
If that gets snapped up, there are three more properties all with six bedrooms ranging from £2.5m to £3.2m.
SHOP TILL YOU DROP
Manchester has everything in terms of shopping – but there’s no chance of Ronaldo getting a hassle-free trip out.
Turin shopping could be replaced by a trip to Harvey Nichols. And he’ll even be able to hire out the restaurant there if he likes.
The Manchester Arndale is a focal point of shopping in the city with almost 200 stores over three floors.
And The Trafford Centre is another bustling hive of activity. But Ronaldo would have to be in pretty decent disguise to get away with splashing the cash at these venues.
HEIGHT OF FASHION
Ronaldo’s stunning other half Georgina is a big fan of Milan’s fashion shows.
But London has its own eclectic mix of catwalk extravaganzas too.
The Argentine will be hoping the UK capital can provide her with some ideas for her fashion range OM by G.
And a hassle-free trip down to London from Manchester Piccadilly on the train, first class of course, is only £163.10 off-peak.
CHILD’S PLAY
Last time he was in Manchester as an 18 year old hobbies off the pitch will have been very different to today.
Despite the strict stewardship of Fergie at the United helm, it’s likely Ronaldo enjoyed the party scene when allowed.
But now with four kids in tow, he might be more interested in spending time at the Sea Life Centre or Legoland.
Ronaldo can take Georgina, Cristiano Jr, Mateo, Eva Maria and Alana Martina to both attractions for a grand total of £163.70.
REST AND RELAXATION
If Ronny wants some down time he could sign up for The Mere Golf Club in Cheshire.
And while he is out hitting balls Georgina could relax in the spa.
There is always the option of the 179-cap Portugal international recuperating in his own HOTEL of course.
He is opening his first Manchester hotel in 18 months and sources say he is keen to ‘quickly widen’ his portfolio of properties.
Earlier this year, planning chiefs in Manchester gave the nod for Ronaldo to open a new luxury hotel with a rooftop bar overlooking the city’s Piccadilly Gardens district.
The Portuguese hotel group Pestana are building the 150-bedroom ‘high-end lifestyle’ hotel on the corner of Piccadilly and Newton Street.
The building will become the seventh Pestana branded hotel in the world and they all carry Ronaldo’s iconic ‘CR7’ initials – alluding to the shirt number he has worn throughout his footballing career.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
