Ronaldo’s was an enduring transfer saga, as he remained reticent about his true intentions while those around him worked furiously on a deal to take him to Real Madrid over the course of the summer months.
After winning the Champions League and retaining the Premier League crown last season, as well as netting 42 goals, Ronaldo felt that he needed a new challenge for his career and identified the Bernabeu as the place to make it happen.
However, after discussions with his club manager Sir Alex Ferguson, the 23 year-old was convinced to stay at Old Trafford.
Now, the Scot has revealed that he told Ronaldo that he can become a United legend like another Red Devils number 7, Eric Cantona.
The Frenchman cut a swathe through the Premier League with United, winning four titles and two FA Cups before retiring aged 30 in 1997.
The fact that ‘King Eric’ left United at the peak of his powers has served to enhance his legacy at the club, and Ferguson believes that Ronaldo can receive similar levels of adulation from the Old Trafford faithful.
Acknowledging that he expects Ronaldo to leave United in the future, Ferguson told the press: “I think Cristiano has come to accept that at this stage of his career, United is the place for him.
“Southern Europeans want at some point to play for Real Madrid or Barcelona, so I understood what was going on in Cristiano’s mind when he declared he wanted to join Real.
“But once we had talked he accepted it was a move for the future.
“I pointed out to him how much better it would be to leave like Eric Cantona, with the fans loving and appreciating him.
“The crowd still chant Cantona’s name and I told Cristiano ‘Leave a hero like Eric’ and one day he will. But not yet.”
SIR ALEX Ferguson has promised Cristiano Ronaldo his dream move to Real Madrid – but not yet.
Manchester United boss Ferguson told Ronaldo to leave Old Trafford a hero like Eric Cantona rather than a figure of hate.
Ronaldo angered United fans in the summer by expressing his desire to join Real only to be talked into staying by Ferguson.
Ferguson said: “Graeme Souness was right when he said that just as Italians all dream of playing one day for Juventus or the Milan clubs, so southern Europeans want at some point to play for Real Madrid or Barcelona.
“So I understood what was going on in Cristiano’s mind when he declared he wanted to join Real. But once we had talked, he accepted it was a move for the future.
“The crowd still chant Cantona’s name so I told Cristiano, ‘Leave a hero like Eric’ and one day he will – but not yet of course.”
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Ronaldo did nothing to dent his hero status last night, scoring United’s opener in the 3-1 Carling Cup third round victory against Middlesbrough in his first start this season.
Boro fought back through Adam Johnson but Ryan Giggs and Nani wrapped it up.
Arsenal’s youngsters thrashed Sheffield United 6-0, while Fulham lost 1-0 at Burnley and West Ham also went down 1-0 at Watford.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s first goal of the season and a 3-1 victory for Man United was marred by a sickening foul from Middlesbrough captain Emanuel Pogatetz that left Brazilian youngster Rodrigo Possebon with a suspected broken leg.
Ronaldo’s start in English football’s League Cup third-round tie was his first since the European Champions League final — following a post-Euro 2008 ankle surgery.
But Ferguson’s satisfaction at his second win in the opening seven fixtures was tempered by the 65th-minute injury to Possebon, in his United debut. This saw Pogatetz sent off and the United manager engaged in a furious row with Gareth Southgate, Middlesbrough’s manager.
United showed 11 changes from the side which drew at Chelsea on Sunday.
Ferguson had four teenagers — goalkeeper Ben Amos, defender Rafael da Silva, midfielder Possebon and the forward Danny Welbeck — starting a senior game for the first time. Yet all looked comfortable against a strong Middlesbrough side, and it was a question of when, rather than if, United would take the lead. The answer was 24 minutes, the length of time it took Ronaldo to announce his return to goal-scoring form.
Giggs’s corner swung into the Middlesbrough area and Ronaldo, the scorer of 42 goals last season, was inexplicably allowed to connect with an unmarked header from eight yards.
