Manchester United can't be accused of underplaying Cristiano Rojo's return at Old Trafford to face Newcastle this weekend. This match will only be broadcast in the UK by BBC radio.
Ronaldo lands in the UK Ronaldo arrives at training. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer speaks to Ronaldo. United's media channels have squeezed every bit of content they could from the build up to his second debut.
The huge 'Here We Belong" poster at the stadium's front has been updated to include a prominent Ronaldo image. The programme's front cover is dedicated to Ronaldo, 36.
External-link: Andy Kilduff (co-founder of Stretford End Flags) said that "the only thing I could compare it with was Eric Cantona's return from his ban."
"We played Liverpool at Home and there was all this does He start? is he coming off of the bench?' - he nearly came out of the tunnel entirely on his own, and Old Trafford burst into flames.
"How Ronaldo emerges from that tunnel against Newcastle will be quite special. He has felt the love from his family.
"When we played Real Madrid 2013, even though he was wearing number 7, and Alan Keegan was reading out the teams in number order, Ronaldo was left as the last player. He said "welcome back Old Trafford". This is a testament to how special he truly is.
MOTDx: Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes talks Cristiano Ronaldo, penalties & naps
A 'mind-boggling' debut
The backdrop for Ronaldo's first Manchester United match was very different 18 years ago.
2003 was not an easy summer. David Beckham moved to Real Madrid, and his long-standing pursuit for Ronaldinho was ended when he joined Barcelona from Paris St-Germain.
United's recruitment team was made up of Eric Djemba Djemba, Tim Howard, Kleberson, and David Bellion without the gifted Brazilian. Howard, the goalkeeper, would have any impact.
Ronaldo joined United four days before the season opener against Bolton, which the Red Devils won 4-1.
Although the potential of the 18-year old was recognized, the majority of the discussion around the deal focused on the fee which made Ronaldo one the most expensive teenage footballer in Britain. Twelve months later, he could have left Sporting Lisbon without paying anything.
Nicky Hunt, who was about to make his Premier League debut in Bolton's Premier League, said that "we didn't know a lot about him." He was 19.
Bolton led 1-0 after 61 minutes. United, however, were not convincing and had begun to make some chances.
Hunt stated that Alex Ferguson clearly thought, "I am not satisfied with this, and I am going to need to bring in the best player of the world."
"I played a lot against strikers and wingers in reserves football. Back then, wingers were mainly just head down, kick it and cross it. My main goal was to knock him down when he first came on. It was twice. He got the ball the second time.
"He became annoyed and thought, "Who's that?" "He got annoyed, thought 'who's this?' and turned it on. It was difficult. It was so hard. I was too busy watching his feet when I should have been looking at the ball. It was sometimes mind-boggling.
"He was able to do these stepsovers, tricks and skills. Ryan Giggs and Thierry Henry did it, but not as fast, not as often and not as quickly. It was continuous. He could use both his feet to get past you in both directions. It was difficult to watch him, his feet, and your legs as he moved. If they got crossed, you would fall over.
"I played against him five to six times and had some very difficult afternoons trying to chase after his number seven shirt."
What type of Ronaldo is Man Utd getting
The great entertainer
Ronaldo's time at Old Trafford is being reexamined. United's coverage of Ronaldo's first three seasons has been largely a blanket affair. They have not focused on the inconsistencies that plagued his previous three seasons. He really started to show consistent excellence in 2006-07, but not before that.
Kilduff said that "some people now say that the Ronaldo debut of a United player was the best they have ever seen." What about Wayne Rooney? He was the Champions League's batting champion. It's almost forgotten about by most people.
"The Bolton game was more about people. They wanted to be entertained and the game wasn't that great. They were open to the idea of stepovers. He was full of excitement and had a special charm.
He was good against Bolton, but it took him a while to establish himself at United. He was a good player, but it didn't lead to anything. After being kicked, he would roll around 20 more times and moan at his referee. We played Charlton a few weeks after the Bolton match and the fans sang, "You bought the wrong Ronaldo."
Ronaldo scored 91 goals for Manchester United in Ronaldo's final three seasons. United won the Premier League 3 times, won Champions League, reached the final and semi final, won Club World Cup, League Cup, and reached the FA Cup final.
Kilduff stated that one of the reasons why there was so much hype about him returning was because he was being linked to [Manchester] City. It was not a case of bearing to see him wearing a rival shirt." We have him now.
"When he came first, we didn’t know what to expect but it is almost like that now.
He is not Ronaldo running up the wing doing the stepover. He is more of a centre-forward who does the free-kicks. He can still leap in the air. He is able to do something that we did not have before. He is capable of doing something extraordinary. It makes the opposition fearful.
'Amazing' reception guaranteed
Ronaldo's arrival will be a positive or negative for his team. He missed a penalty that he took before Bruno Fernandes who has a great spot-kick record at United, when he scored two late goals against Portugal to win the World Cup qualifier.
Solskjaer must manage this dressing-room dynamic, as the United boss is under intense scrutiny.
It is meant to be a celebration. Ronaldo scored a hat trick in a 6-0 win against them the last time they played at Old Trafford.
Kilduff said, "He will receive an incredible reception." Kilduff said, "But the incentive to Newcastle isn't?
"The last thing that you want is for all your euphoria and excitement to be followed by a draw, or a loss."
