He complains of a lack of protection, he plays with a scowl on his face and there is a genuine of sense that he believes the World Cup revolves around him and him alone, but there is no doubt about it, the Premier League just isn’t the same without Cristiano Ronaldo.

Put aside for a moment the debate as to whether Ronaldo or Lionel Messi is the world’s current number one footballer.

The fact that Ronaldo is even part of that debate underlines just what he brings the table in South Africa 2010 and focuses on the stardust he once sprinkled all over the Premier League for Manchester United.

Within 20 minutes of the start of Portugal’s World Cup opener against Ivory Coast in Port Elizabeth on Monday, Ronaldo had shown us all what we have missed in England since he left Old Trafford for Real Madrid 12 months ago.

Ronaldo rattled the Ivory Coast post with an audacious 35-yard shot – he has no problems with the Jabulani ball judging by that strike – and also tried a free-kick from even further out before narrowly missing the target.

He earned a booking for Didier Zokora, despite appearing to dive over a challenge from the defender, and then picked up a yellow card himself for aggressively confronting Guy Demel after being upended 20 yards from goal by the full-back’s clumsy challenge.

Before the game had even got going, Ronaldo had shown all of the traits – good, bad and ugly – that earned him adulation and loathing in equal measure during his time in England.

But love him or hate him, Ronaldo makes things happen, he lifts fans off their seats and he creates a frenzy of excitement whenever he touches the ball.

Messi eclipsed Ronaldo in Spain last season, such was his brilliance for Barcelona, but don’t fall into the trap of dismissing Ronaldo’s talents.

He is a wonderful player, a modern-day superstar, and, like it or not, Old Trafford and the Premier League are poorer, less interesting places, without him.