Erik ten Hag handles Cristiano Ronaldo as a Manchester United manager should in exchange vs Rayo Vallecano

The banner affixed to the second tier reads 'The King of the Stretford End', a homage to Denis Law. In Cristiano Ronaldo's words, he is The King.

Ronaldo promised 'the king' would play on Sunday. He did not just play, he started. Ronaldo lasted 45 minutes on his first appearance for Manchester United in 12 weeks.

The last word Ronaldo uttered that afternoon at Brighton was "bye". It would have been a fitting epitaph yet the king is not dead and long may he reign, if his fanbase is anything to go by.

Also read: United player ratings vs Vallecano

Ronaldo had one sighter and blazed that over, much to the anguish of the thousands of schoolchildren whose summer holiday was enriched by a Sunday in the company of footballing royalty. Ronaldo's replacement, Amad, was on target at the Stretford End within three minutes of his interval introduction.

On the day Erik ten Hag first managed at Old Trafford and Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen lined up in red for the first time, their privilege was a mere footnote. Ronaldo was headline billing.

On the stalls on Sir Matt Busby Way and Warwick Road there were flags for the kings - Cantona and Ronaldo. "Ronaldo 7" shirts were ubiquitous, the followers' worshipping of him not dampened by uncertainty over his future. The Megastore this week ran out of junior-sized '7s', denying schoolchildren a Ronaldo shirt. Or Fred. Or Alex Telles.

The return of the king drew an impressive crowd a week before Old Trafford hosts competitive football. The directors' box was teeming with United players who appeared in Saturday's friendly defeat to Atletico Madrid in Oslo, as well as Sir Alex Ferguson. The triumphant Coleen Rooney brought some glamour, accompanying son and United academy member Kai.