Ronaldo praised after the Man United star deliberately avoided walking on the Man City badge

Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to deliberately avoid walking across Manchester City‘s badge as he arrived at the Etihad for the Manchester derby on Sunday.

Video footage of the Man United forward, who nearly signed for City last season before he returned to Old Trafford, shows him side-stepping the badge on the carpet near to the players’ entrance at the stadium.

Fans on social media praised Ronaldo for showing ‘respect’ by not walking over City’s crest.

Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at the Etihad with the Manchester United squad on Sunday

Video footage shows Ronaldo deliberately stepping past Man City’s badge on the carpet

‘He walked right beside it. A man of respect. He’s goated in my books,’ one wrote.

Another said: ‘I’m sure if Ronaldo stepped on the Man City badge you wouldn’t hear the end of it.’

Ronaldo, 37, is the latest high-profile star to go out of his way to avoid walking on the City badge at the Etihad, with Luis Suarez making a similar gesture before Atletico Madrid’s Champions League tie with Pep Guardiola’s side in April.

The Portuguese cut a frustrated figure on the bench in the Manchester derby as he was an unused substitute in City’s thumping 6-3 victory.

United boss Erik ten Hag later bizarrely claimed that he had not brought Ronaldo on to the pitch ‘out of respect for his big career’.

Ronaldo, 37, was left on the bench as City thrashed United 6-3 in the derby on Sunday

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of United’s trip to Omonia Nicosia in the Europa League on Thursday, where Ronaldo is expected to feature, Ten Hag said: ‘He’s not happy that he wasn’t playing Sunday, but that wasn’t the question. 

‘The question was about his mood when he’s around and if he’s happy. Of course, he wants to play, he’s p***ed off when he’s not playing.

‘I can’t see that relation, that he’s not coming when we’re 4-0, 5-1, 6-1 down, I didn’t bring him out of respect. It’s nothing to do with what’s happening for the future or January or next year.

Ten Hag said after the match that he did not bring on Ronaldo ‘out of respect for his big career’

‘I don’t see he’s unhappy. He’s happy, he’s training well, he’s enjoying it. Everyone is training well, there’s a good spirit, that’s not the point, it’s important as it’s a base to work well.

‘I never talk about my conversations with the players, it’s between us, that’s quite clear. Especially Cristiano, he’s really competitive, as we all know. He’s not happy when he’s not playing. 

‘But I already said and I have to repeat, he’s training well, he has a good mood, he’s motivated and he gives his best, that is what we expect.’