Former Manchester United captain Antonio Valencia is sorry seeing the way Cristiano Ronaldo left the club.

Ronaldo had his contract terminated after a disparaging interview attacking the club and manager Erik ten Hag.

“It was too bad Cristiano Ronaldo left Manchester United in the way he did," Valencia told the Athletic. "A player like him should leave a club by walking off the pitch to applause at a sold-out stadium. The people there loved him.

“The interview he gave recently was unfortunate. He'll have his reasons for saying what he did, but I felt awful about the way he left the club. It hurt. I hope everything goes well for him at his new club. I wish Ronaldo nothing but the best."

Two-time title winner Valencia revealed that he finds it difficult to see his old team in their current state.

He added: “It's a great club that's just stuck at the moment. It's a team that's looking up from a great distance at the top positions in the table. They haven't been competitive enough. One game they are. The next game they're not. It's a shame."