Manchester United co-owner, Avram Glazer has broken his silence after putting the club up for sale.
The 62-year-old said they decided to seek 'strategic alternatives' for the club before thanking the departing Cristiano Ronaldo for all he has done for the club.
He was confronted in the street by a Sky News reporter in Palm Beach, Florida, after the shocking announcement on Tuesday November 22, that the Glazers were inviting fresh investment at United and were potentially open to a sale.
They value the Old Trafford club at upwards of £5billion.
Asked why now was the right time, Glazer replied: 'As we announced yesterday, the board went through a process and it has decided it is going to look at different strategic alternatives and that's what we're doing.'
When it was put to Glazer that most United fans feel his family should have sold the club years ago, he answered: 'Once again, we are going through a process, we will look at all different strategic alternatives and we will see where it leads us.
'I appreciate you talking to me tonight and I'm going to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving.'
Asked about the acrimonious departure of Ronaldo, Glazer said: 'I will tell you about Cristiano Ronaldo, he is a great Manchester United player and I appreciate everything he has done for the club and I wish him the best of luck in the future.'
The decision to sell the club came after Ronaldo, 37, criticized the Glazer family during his explosive interview with Piers Morgan, with the comments leading to his departure from United on Tuesday.
He said: 'The Glazers, they don't care about the cub. I mean, professional sport, as you know, Manchester is a marketing club.
'They will get money from the marketing - the sport, it's, they don't really care, in my opinion.
'The fans, they're always right. I think the fans should know the truth, should know that the players want the best for the club.
'I want the best for the club. This why I came to Manchester United.'