Tuesday, 09 Dec 2008
'Happy' winger wants to remain at United, help them win more trophies.
Four months and one European Player of the Year award after his 'dream' move to Real Madrid failed to materialise, Cristiano Ronaldo said on Sunday that he wants to stay with Manchester United and help the English team win more trophies.
The Portuguese winger, who had been sought by Real after this year's European Championship, was in Paris - accompanied by United manager Alex Ferguson - to collect the Ballon d'Or (Golden Ball) award from France Football magazine.
'I've been playing for Manchester United for five years, I feel at home. There have been prizes won by this club collectively and individually,' Ronaldo said. 'I'm happy at Manchester and want to stay.'
He joined United in 2003 and scored 42 goals last season to help them win the English Premier League and Champions League titles.
The 23-year-old made it clear he wanted further success with United.
'I am an ambitious person. I don't want it to stop here,' he said. 'I think we have to keep trying to win trophies, collectively and individually.
'I am on the right track. I am the Golden Ball winner today, which motivates me even more.'
Ronaldo, who beat strikers Lionel Messi of Barcelona and Fernando Torres of Liverpool to the prize, is also looking to make progress as a player.
'It's always special to reach this level, the important thing is to stay there,' he said. 'The idea is to keep progressing, collectively and individually as well.'
Ferguson believes that Ronaldo can only improve, saying: 'He's only starting his career. We expect him to improve.'
'When a player gets to 26, that's when he begins to mature. So these next three or four years for Cristiano will prove my point.'
Ferguson is so sure of Ronaldo's capabilities that he wants to keep the player at Old Trafford for a longer time.
According to the Daily Express, United have opened talks with the player for a new £40 million (S$90.8 million) deal to keep him at the club for the next five years. The first round of discussions was held last Friday between Ronaldo, Ferguson and United chief executive David Gill. The paper reported that after two hours of discussions, Ferguson left in an 'upbeat mood', giving Ronaldo and Gill the chance to talk alone.
Ronaldo signed a five-year, £120,000- a-week upgrade in April 2007, when Real were sniffing around. But, should a new deal be struck, an extra £30,000 could be added to that, putting him on £8 million a year.
Despite Ronaldo pledging his future to United when the Real talks subsided, it seems Ferguson is not willing to take any chances on the player's current contract, which still has three years to run. The Scot is all too aware that Real are prepared to spend as much as £50 million on the winger and so ensuring another five years would end all chances of any similar speculation in the near future.
The Portuguese winger, who had been sought by Real after this year's European Championship, was in Paris - accompanied by United manager Alex Ferguson - to collect the Ballon d'Or (Golden Ball) award from France Football magazine.
'I've been playing for Manchester United for five years, I feel at home. There have been prizes won by this club collectively and individually,' Ronaldo said. 'I'm happy at Manchester and want to stay.'
He joined United in 2003 and scored 42 goals last season to help them win the English Premier League and Champions League titles.
The 23-year-old made it clear he wanted further success with United.
'I am an ambitious person. I don't want it to stop here,' he said. 'I think we have to keep trying to win trophies, collectively and individually.
'I am on the right track. I am the Golden Ball winner today, which motivates me even more.'
Ronaldo, who beat strikers Lionel Messi of Barcelona and Fernando Torres of Liverpool to the prize, is also looking to make progress as a player.
'It's always special to reach this level, the important thing is to stay there,' he said. 'The idea is to keep progressing, collectively and individually as well.'
Ferguson believes that Ronaldo can only improve, saying: 'He's only starting his career. We expect him to improve.'
'When a player gets to 26, that's when he begins to mature. So these next three or four years for Cristiano will prove my point.'
Ferguson is so sure of Ronaldo's capabilities that he wants to keep the player at Old Trafford for a longer time.
According to the Daily Express, United have opened talks with the player for a new £40 million (S$90.8 million) deal to keep him at the club for the next five years. The first round of discussions was held last Friday between Ronaldo, Ferguson and United chief executive David Gill. The paper reported that after two hours of discussions, Ferguson left in an 'upbeat mood', giving Ronaldo and Gill the chance to talk alone.
Ronaldo signed a five-year, £120,000- a-week upgrade in April 2007, when Real were sniffing around. But, should a new deal be struck, an extra £30,000 could be added to that, putting him on £8 million a year.
Despite Ronaldo pledging his future to United when the Real talks subsided, it seems Ferguson is not willing to take any chances on the player's current contract, which still has three years to run. The Scot is all too aware that Real are prepared to spend as much as £50 million on the winger and so ensuring another five years would end all chances of any similar speculation in the near future.
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