David Beckham Talks Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs, Manchester United and More

Former Manchester United midfielder David Beckham would like to see Cristiano Ronaldo move back to Old Trafford and has given Ryan Giggs his backing to one day become the club's manager.

Beckham appeared on talkSPORT's Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast this Friday, and despite acknowledging how difficult it would be for the player to return, admitted it would give him joy to see Ronaldo come back (via Metro's George Bellshaw):

"

I’d like to see him come back, as a Man United fan, obviously. That would be great. I think he was so great at United. He went from being a young kid being looked after by Sir Alex Ferguson and then he persuaded him to stay that extra year and that proved how much it meant to him and how successful he was there.

But, he’s at Real Madrid now and I think he’s very comfortable in his life there. To leave Real Madrid is always difficult but to leave Man United is even more so. So we’ll see.

"

It's just about the oldest transfer saga in existence—if it can be called that—that Ronaldo could one day return to the club he left in 2009 for what was then a world-record fee of £80 million.

Six years later and the Portugal captain has gone on to enjoy his most successful years at the Bernabeu, helping Los Blancos claim La Decima in 2014—their 10th European title—and winning two Ballon d'Or awards.

Unfortunately, fans never had the pleasure of seeing Beckham and Ronaldo in the same team after the former departed for Real Madrid in 2003, which was the same summer the latter arrived from Sporting Lisbon.

Former United boss Sir Alex Ferguson managed Ronaldo to three Premier League titles, a Champions League and an FA Cup, naming both him and Giggs among the four world-class players he's coached, per Bleacher Report UK:

Beckham delved further into his United links when speaking to BBC Radio 1 on Friday, where he gave ex-team-mate and fellow Red Devils legend Giggs the green light to one day manage the team, via the Press Association (h/t Daily Mail):

"He could be a top manager. He's learned from Sir Alex over the years, now Louis van Gaal. He's taking his time and doing all the right things. All the fans would like to see him be manager at some time. He's got that appreciation and understanding of Manchester United, he'd be perfect to step in."

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The Welshman officially retired at the end of the 2013-14 season and has served as assistant manager to David Moyes and Louis van Gaal, aiding the latter in taking United to the top of the Premier League.

Van Gaal's Old Trafford contract is poised to expire in 2017, at which point the club's hierarchy will be considering their options as to who could take over in case the Dutchman doesn't agree an extension.

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The incumbent coach has even said he "feels" Giggs will be his eventual successor, per BBC Sport. Beckham's stamp of approval serves as just the latest sign the promotion is only a matter of time.

The United management role is shaping up to be an appetising one for any future manager, too, as Rob Dawson of the Manchester Evening News highlighted Anthony Martial as one of the players developing nicely:

His days as a player for the Scot are long over, but Beckham went on to add that he and his old team-mates still won't drink alcohol in front of "father figure" Ferguson.

The 40-year-old confessed to having recently bumped into Ferguson after being handed a glass of wine, and then stood "talking to him (Ferguson) for 20 minutes with the wine hidden behind my back."

That's the kind of tight ship the greatest United manager ever used to run, and it yielded the results that built a dynasty at the Theatre of Dreams that can still be seen in the squad today.

If Van Gaal or Giggs are able to recapture even a small portion of that success, they'll be in good stead to win major silverware once again, and the teased return of Ronaldo certainly wouldn't do them any harm.