Cristiano Ronaldo and Jose Mourinho have almost come to blows in past... would superstar really risk leaving his Real Madrid legacy behind to work for his old boss at Manchester United?

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Cristiano Ronaldo's affection for Manchester United is beyond question. His willingness to gamble his wonderful legacy there on a return, aged 32, and his desire to work for Jose Mourinho again are more debatable.

The last public image of Mourinho and Ronaldo together at the Santiago Bernabeu is of the pair in the mouth of the tunnel deliberately avoiding eye contact in the last home game of the 2012-13 season as months of general dressing room ill-feeling had finally poisoned their relationship.

The first signs of unrest between the pair came in Mourinho's first season when his tactics in a Champions League semi-final against Barcelona rubbed Ronaldo up the wrong way. The player said after the game: 'I don't like to play that way, but I have to adapt to what the team asks from me.' He was dropped for the next league game.

Cristiano Ronaldo is being linked with a move away from Real Madrid this summer

Manchester United, managed by ex-Real boss Jose Mourinho, would be interested in Ronaldo

The pair celebrate on the touchline during a victory over Levante in 2012

In another row in Mourinho's final season at the club, the manager criticised Ronaldo for easing up at the end of a first-leg Spanish Cup game against Valencia. 

The two clashed in the dressing room afterwards and Real Madrid defender Raul Albiol later tried to play down the incident, saying: 'They had an exchange of opinions, it was nothing more than that.'

In his biography of Ronaldo, Spanish journalist Guillem Balague claimed the incident nearly came to blows, writing: 'The player, unable to contain his fury, got up from the bench where he was changing and began shouting, "After everything I've done for you, this is how you treat me! How dare you say that to me?''

Mourinho hit back by telling Ronaldo his criticism of him not tracking back was only what others were thinking but were too afraid to say.

In his account of Mourinho's three years at Real Madrid, Spanish journalist Diego Torres also paints a picture of constant unrest in his book 'The Special One'.

He describes one outburst from Mourinho, with the Portuguese coach telling Ronaldo: 'You complain that we play defensively. But do you know why we play this way? For you — because you don't want to defend or cover the wings.'

Mourinho keeps an eye on Ronaldo during a Madrid training session in Los Angeles in 2010

The pair had a fractious relationship during their time together at the Bernabeu

An exchange of words between Ronaldo and Mourinho was captured by television cameras

Elsewhere he says: 'I have to look after you because you're my brother's brother, and when someone is their brother's brother, that makes them a brother as well.'

In a comic turn after the row, which had taken place in front of the entire squad, a confused Kaka asks team-mates: 'Who is his brother?' 

Gonzalo Higuain tells him: 'The brother is Jorge Mendes.'

Despite the clash of huge personalities Mourinho recognised he had more chance of success with Ronaldo on side. And Ronaldo, the consummate professional, tended to do as he was told by his then-Madrid manager. The cease-fire did not last until the end of their marriage of convenience, however.

Mourinho appeared to blame Ronaldo for the club not winning the league in his last season and Ronaldo never forgot the stinging criticism.

Mourinho said publicly that the league had been lost in the earlier stages of the season because the team began the campaign 'sad'. It was a reference to Ronaldo's use of the same word in a public show of discontent in September.

Ronaldo did not forget and was captured by Spanish television appearing to direct an insult in Portuguese towards Mourinho in a subsequent win over Malaga. One Spanish television channel, Cuatro, claimed the former Manchester United forward had shouted Foda-se! (f**k you!) at the home bench after scoring his 200th goal for the club.

A fresh-faced Ronaldo is pictured during his spell with United earlier in his career

Mourinho appeared to blame Ronaldo for the club not winning La Liga in his final season

At one point, things almost came to blows according to a biography of Ronaldo

All this could be put behind them of course if United really do pull off the sensation of the summer by bringing back one of their greatest ever players.

'Work with Mourinho again? Why not?' Ronaldo told Marca in an interview two years ago and Mourinho has the same philosophy. Both men would bite their tongues for the good of Manchester United. And Ronaldo's love for the club where he was transformed into the player he now is, is definitely not up for discussion.

'I'm very happy being in Spain but obviously I also miss England because you can't just turn off the memories,' he said in an interview just before the Champions League final.

He has complained about whistles at him in the stadium before — although they always seem to come from the same tiny minority and he has made some progress in educating the Bernabeu that they make no sense.

But in that pre-Champions League final interview he also said: 'I spent a lot of years at Manchester United and it never happened to me. Not even once. Maybe England is a case apart — the mentality is different.'

He knows they still sing 'Viva Ronaldo' at Old Trafford. And he knows there would be an incredible welcome for him. Could he deliver for them a second time around. And with no run-ins with Mourinho?  

That would be the only question he would need to answer if United do try to rescue him from Madrid. 

Could they put their differences aside for the good of United in the Premier League?