Ronaldo: 100 per cent professional

I never wanted to go against United's will.

Cristiano Ronaldo
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Cristiano Ronaldo insists he will put his heart and soul into helping Manchester United achieve success this season.

The Portugal international upset many fans over the summer after initially refusing to confirm he wanted to stay at Old Trafford after being linked with Real Madrid.

However, despite Real's hopes of prizing the superstar away from Sir Alex Ferguson's grasp, The Red Devils stood their ground.

Ronaldo, who is nearing his long-awaited return following ankle surgery, has now conceded he was 'naïve' with his comments over the summer.

The 23-year-old has admitted that had United not beaten Chelsea on penalties in the UEFA Champions League final then he would not have wanted a fresh challenge.

Naive

"What I said publicly, which was maybe a little bit naïve, I take total responsibility for," he told Inside United magazine.

"I just said what I thought: I have a dream of playing at Real and I thought it was time to move on. People can't be upset about me fulfilling a child-hood dream.

"I knew Real were interested in me and they had, allegedly, made a substantial offer. For a while, I wanted United to accept.

"If we hadn't been European champions, I probabley wouldn't have thought about going to Madrid. I never wanted to go against United's will.

"I'm 100 per cent professional and have always given my heart and soul to this club.

"If one day I leave, I want to do it knowing I did everything I could to help the club win as much as possible."