They cheered him off the team bus, they cheered him right through the warm-up and they cheered him all game long as his two goals powered Manchester United to a 4-1 win.
Cristiano Ronaldo's triumphant homecoming the last time Newcastle United visited Old Trafford 13 months ago could scarcely have been scripted any better.
The stadium was bursting with optimism as the returning hero swept Man United to the top of the Premier League, the result leaving Steve Bruce's Newcastle marooned in the bottom three.
Cristiano Ronaldo left Old Trafford mesmerised on his return to Manchester United last year
As the two teams prepare to meet again in Manchester this Sunday, it's fair to say things have changed drastically for both in the intervening 13 months.