With Ilkay Gundogan recently rejoining his former club Manchester City, Gabriel Tecco Mensah explores this intriguing phenomenon, spotlighting why players often make unexpected returns to their previous teams.
This article delves into the motivations, impacts, and stories behind these high-profile returns, offering a fresh perspective on why some players choose to return to their roots and how these comebacks shape both their careers and the clubs they rejoin.
Join us as we uncover the compelling narratives of players revisiting familiar territories and the effects of their second stints on the sport.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United
After 12 years of departing Old Trafford, Ronaldo returned on August 2021 from Juventus largely due to his emotional connection with the club and the influence of legendary former manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Although he was initially expected to sign with Manchester City, Ferguson and other key figures at United intervened, convincing him to return to Old Trafford.
“I’m right here! I’m back where I belong! Let’s make it happen once again!
PS – Sir Alex, this one is for you…,”Ronaldo wrote on instagram after his move was confirmed
Ronaldo’s move was seen as a significant public relation win for the club, especially in a year marked by fan unrest due to the club’s involvement in the failed European Super League project.
However, Ronaldo’s first stint with United differed significantly as compared to his second spell.
Ronaldo scored 118 goals in 292 games for United during his first spell, winning three Premier League titles, the Champions League, the FA Cup and two League Cups.
His return wasn’t up to the mark he left. For the first four weeks, his comeback seemed like a big win for the club, with the team consistently holding third or fourth place in the league standings. However, things soon took an unexpected turn.
United faced a series of harsh defeats in the following weeks, including a 4-2 loss to Leicester City, a 5-0 thrashing by Liverpool, a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City, and an embarrassing 4-1 loss to Watford.
As a result, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the head coach, stepped down after these disappointing performances.
Following these setbacks, United dropped to 10th place in the table, a significant decline compared to their strong finish the previous season.
Although Ronaldo made significant contributions, the team still fell short of expectations, missing out on Champions League qualification. Despite his effectiveness as a goal-scorer, his return didn’t restore United to the top tier of English football as many had anticipated.
However, Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from Manchester United during his second spell followed escalating tensions with the club, which peaked after a revealing interview with Piers Morgan in November 2022.
In the interview, Ronaldo said he felt ‘betrayed’ by the club and openly criticized manager Erik ten Hag, stating he had ‘no respect’ for him.
He also accused the club’s management of mistrusting him regarding his absence from pre-season due to his daughter’s illness.
The fallout from this interview further strained relations, ultimately resulting in a mutual decision to terminate his contract.
Sergio Ramos and Sevilla
Sergio Ramos returned to Sevilla on September 4, 2023 after 18 years, driven by an emotional connection to his boyhood club and a desire to honor his roots.
He described the move as following his heart, emphasizing that it was more about fulfilling a personal debt and reuniting with the club that shaped his early career.
Ramos wanted to repair past tensions with Sevilla fans and fulfill a promise to his family, especially his late grandfather, a lifelong Sevilla supporter.
“I’m looking forward to going home, it didn’t make sense to go anywhere else without going through here. It was a debt with my father, with my grandfather, with Sevilla and with Puerta, with many things that have meant a lot and I think it was the moment”, Ramos told journalists when he touched down in Sevilla.
Ramos was linked with a move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad, which could have seen him reunite with former Madrid teammate Karim Benzema. Instead, the centre-back opted to sign a one-year deal with Sevilla, stating that this decision was meaningful at this point of his career.
On September 17 2023, Ramos made his second debut for Sevilla, contributing to a 1–0 win over Las Palmas.
He played his first Champions League match with Sevilla on September 20 2023, ending in a 1–1 draw against Lens. On October 21 2023, he faced his former club Real Madrid for the first time since leaving in 2021, with the game ending 1–1.
On November 29 2023, he scored his first goal for Sevilla in a 3–2 loss to PSV Eindhoven, marking his 1000th professional appearance and equaling the record for goals by defenders. He broke this record on December 12 by scoring his 17th goal with a Panenka-style penalty in a 2–1 defeat to Lens.
On February 25, 2024, Ramos returned to the Santiago Bernabéu with Sevilla, but his team lost 1–0 to Real Madrid.
On 17 June 2024, Sevilla announced that Ramos would not stay in the club for the next season. Sergio Ramos also announced his farewell as a Sevilla player, stating he leaves “after achieving the two goals” he set before returning to his childhood club: “paying tribute to Antonio Puerta and José Antonio Reyes” and showing Sevilla fans his “feelings.”
However, he also noted that he hasn’t decided his future yet and has no agreements with any other club.
Didier Drogba and Chelsea
Drogba returned to Chelsea on a free transfer from Galatasary on July, 25 2014.
Speaking on his comeback to the Blues, Drogba stated:
“It was an easy decision. I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to work with José Mourinho again. Everyone knows the special relationship I have with this club and it has always felt like home to me.”
Chelsea’s manager at the time José Mourinho also highlighted on the striker’s exceptional talent and competitive spirit. Mourinho praised Drogba as one of Europe’s finest forwards and emphasized that his return is not merely a nostalgic move.
“He’s coming because he’s one of the best strikers in Europe. I know his personality very well and I know if he comes back he’s not protected by history or what he’s done for this club previously. He is coming with the mentality to make more history,” Mourinho noted.
On July 28, 2014, Chelsea revealed that Didier Drogba would be wearing the number 15 shirt, the same number he wore when he first joined the club in 2004. Mohamed Salah, who had worn number 15 during the 2013–14 season, moved to the number 17 shirt previously worn by Eden Hazard.
However, on August 15, it was announced that Drogba would instead reclaim the number 11 shirt, which he had worn before, with Oscar taking over the number 8 jersey left vacant by Frank Lampard.
Didier Drogba made his Premier League return for Chelsea on August 18, 2014, in a 3–1 victory over Burnley.
He started his first match of the second spell on September 17 in a 1–1 draw with Schalke 04 in the Champions League.
Drogba scored his first goal of this stint with a penalty in a 6–0 win against Maribor on October 21.
He also made his 350th appearance for Chelsea in a match against Manchester United, scoring his first Premier League goal of his return, though Chelsea drew 1–1.
Additionally, he netted his 50th European goal against Schalke 04.
On 24 May 2015, Drogba announced that Chelsea’s final game of the season against Sunderland would be his last as a Chelsea player.
“I want to play for at least one more season and in order to play more football I feel I need to go to another club,” Drogba told Chelsea’s website.
Drogba’s final tally of 104 goals was the highest by an African player in Premier League history until Mohamed Salah of Liverpool and Egypt surpassed it in 2021.
Zlatan Ibrahimović and AC Milan
After 9 years of departing Rossoneri, Ibrahimović returned to AC Milan on a free transfer from LA Galaxy on 27 December 2019.
Zlatan Ibrahimović made his first appearance after returning to AC Milan on January 6, 2020, as a substitute in a 0–0 draw against Sampdoria.
He scored his first goal for Milan since his return on January 11, 2020, in a 2–0 win against Cagliari, marking goals in each of the last four decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s).
On February 9, he assisted and scored in a 4–2 loss to Inter, becoming the oldest goalscorer in the Derby della Madonnina at 38 years and 129 days, surpassing the previous record held by Nils Liedholm (aged 38 years and 43 days).
On July 15, 2020, Zlatan Ibrahimović made his 100th appearance for AC Milan, including his previous stint, in a 3–1 win over Parma.
On July 29, 2020, he became the first player to score 50 Serie A goals for both Milan clubs with a brace against Sampdoria.
On August 1, Ibrahimović scored in a 3–0 win over Cagliari, becoming the oldest player to net ten goals in a Serie A season since the 1950s, at 38 years and 302 days old.
On August 31, 2020, he extended his contract with Milan until the summer of 2021.
On July 18, 2022, it was announced that Ibrahimović had signed a one-year contract extension with Milan, committing to the next season.
He resumed training in February 2023 but was not included in the club’s Champions League squad.
Ibrahimović made his return to first-team action on February 26, 2023, after a nine-month absence, in a 2–0 win against Atalanta.
On March 18, 2023, he became the oldest goalscorer in Serie A history at 41 years and 166 days by scoring in a 3–1 loss to Udinese.
On June 4, 2023, Ibrahimović announced his retirement from football after Milan’s final Serie A match of the season.
Thierry Henry and Arsenal
After training with Arsenal during the MLS off-season in 2011, Thierry Henry rejoined the club on a two-month loan deal on January 6, 2012, following his departure in 2007.
Henry returned to Arsenal to cover for Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh, who were away for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.
He wore the number 12 jersey, as his former number 14 was taken by Theo Walcott after Henry left the club in 2007.
Henry made his second debut as a substitute against Leeds United in the FA Cup, scoring the only goal.
In his final league match on loan, he scored a stoppage-time winner in a 2–1 victory over Sunderland.
His last goals brought his Arsenal career total to 228, including 175 Premier League goals.
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Story by: Gabriel Tecco Mensah | univers.ug.edu.gh
