Sammy McIlroy had seen enough tantrums from Cristiano Ronaldo last season to conclude there was an air of inevitability about his departure from Manchester United.

United fans had taken Ronaldo to their hearts, but all that ended when he started courting another club.

The Morecambe boss was 27 when United sold him to Stoke City for £350,000 in 1982.

It’s difficult, therefore, for him to comprehend the £80million transfer fee Real Madrid are happy to cough up for the FIFA World Player of the Year.

The accountants at Old Trafford and the Estadio Bernabeu operate in a different financial universe than at the home of the Football League Two side and the former Red Devils FA Cup winner operates in an environment where clubs are fighting to survive.

However, the more Ronaldo was pampered, the more petulant he seemed to become and his behaviour when he was substituted against Manchester City last season sealed his fate.

No player is bigger than the club and the Portuguese became less of a team player, the the Champions League final finishing off the United career of a man who became too selfish.

At least there will be no more dummies hurled out of prams and McIlroy is thankful for that.

“The whole Ronaldo story has been going on for so long and we all became tired of the ‘will he, won’t he’ question,” said the 54-year-old former Northern Ireland boss.

“You could see that in some games his body language was not good and the tantrums were happening.

“It became clear that the boy wanted to leave and £80million will allow Alex Ferguson to buy new players. Bigger players have left United in the past and the club has still managed to be successful without them. Ronaldo is a matchwinner, but there are others that can help the club win trophies.

“Players like Karim Benzema, Franck Ribery or David Villa can come in and compensate for the loss of a fantastic player. Hopefully, Wayne Rooney can keep improving and Carlos Tevez will sign on.

“I’m sure that Alex Ferguson must have known that Ronaldo was coming to the end of his spell at United and he will have irons in the fire.

“If the £80million deal goes through it will be remarkable business at a time when we are in a recession and some clubs at our level, in League One and Two, could be folding. The rich club’s playground is a different place and it will be interesting to see how the transfer market evolves from here.”