CRISTIANO Ronaldo’s mum has been applauded by Sporting Lisbon fans after appearing to make sure a gift bought from their club shop took pride of place under his Christmas tree.

Doting Dolores Aveiro, 67 on New Year’s Day, has made no secret of the fact she would like her son to make an emotional return to boyhood club Sporting – who he left for his first spell at Manchester United.

She regularly posts pictures of her watching her favourite Portuguese club with family and friends on social media and confessed on a recent podcast: “I’ve already told him, ‘Son, before I die I want to see you return to Sporting'.”

On Christmas Day, Dolores was congratulated by Sporting fans who assumed it was her who planted the present under the tree.

The green bag with the initials SCP –  short for Sporting CP – was top of the pile of presents Cristiano and his family received.

It was on display as they wished his 381million fans 'Merry Christmas' in matching red pyjamas in an Instagram snap.

Mum-of-four Dolores was among relatives who shared the same photo on their social media.

One of the perceptive Sporting fans who picked up on the gift wrote on Dolores’ Instagram, assuming it was a football shirt: “You’ve still got to tell us who the top was for.”

Another joked: “What a beautiful present I can see under the Christmas tree!”

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Dolores admitted on Sporting Lisbon podcast ADN de Leao in September she had asked her footballer son to return to the club where he began his senior career before signing for Manchester United in 2003 aged just 18.

And she said that if Cristiano didn’t end up there it would be her grandson Cristiano Jr, better known as Cristianinho – who Dolores revealed she reckons is better aged 11 than her son was at his age.

Last month she cheekily reposted a photo to her Instagram Story of her celebrating Sporting Lisbon’s 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League and wrote 'Only you needed' in an apparent message to the Man United striker.

Dolores has already signalled she expects Cristiano to jet to Madeira to see in the New Year with her after celebrating her 67th birthday following their Christmas get-together at his house in Cheshire.

United face Newcastle on Monday night before playing Burnley on Thursday and Wolves on January 3.

Cristiano’s mum is organising a celebration at a seafront hotel in Madeira for her birthday on December 31 before she toasts the arrival of 2022.

She was filmed leaving Manchester for Madeira on a private plane thought to be Cristiano’s £20million Gulfstream G200 jet in footage her Brazilian-based daughter Katia posted.

Singer-turned-influencer Katia showed the family had taken advantage of their quick trip to the UK to do some Christmas shopping as she joked 'And here’s another suitcase' as airport workers loaded up the plane.

At one point she chided her mum by telling her 'Cover up your nose' as her face mask dropped while they waited for the luggage to be put on board so they could take off.

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