Ronaldo: I Will Play For United Next Season
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Ronaldo: I Will Play For United Next Season
Cristiano Ronaldo has insisted that he is a Manchester United player in body and soul and believes that he will remain at Old Trafford next season after Real Madrid ended their pursuit of him.
The Portuguese star revealed in an interview with Marca that he feels that he made the right decision to stay with the Red Devils in the summer rather than push through a move to the Bernabéu.
A meeting in Lisbon with Sir Alex Ferguson ensured that he the Spanish giants would not be successful in their bid to prise him away from United and Ronaldo is now pleased with his choice.
"God only knows the future. I want to state that I am a Manchester United player and I now believe that I will be here next season," he explained.
"(Ferguson) was a key person. I respect him so much because he was the one that signed me and he has been very important in everything that I have achieved.
"In Lisbon I reached an agreement with him and we agreed that it was best for everyone if I stayed. I listened to his reasons and he listened to mine.
"Now I realise that I made the best decision. I am with Manchester United in body and soul."
Marca were keen to ensure that there were no lingering hopes of a move and asked whether or not he would consider playing for Madrid at any point in his career.
"I am a Manchester United player. I want to show respect to the club, to my team-matess and to the fans and I would prefer not to talk about other teams at the moment," Ronaldo replied.
One club that Ronaldo admitted that he could never join even if they offered him a fortune is Manchester City after talk from the Eastlands club's Middle Eastern owners that they wanted him.
"That has never entered me head," he said. "I could never imagine leaving Manchester United in order to join City.
Reflecting on his move to Manchester United, Ronaldo was asked about the other clubs that were in the running and admitted that there were plenty of suitors after him.
"Well, I know that that when I was 17 a lot of teams wanted me. Real Madrid, Valencia, Juventus, Arsenal, they all asked about my situation," he added.