Ronaldo sticks with United

Portuguese ace to stay at Old Trafford

By Chris Burton   Last updated: 7th August 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Ronaldo sticks with United

Ronaldo: Staying put

I will remain with Manchester United for at least another year.

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Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted that he will remain at Manchester United for another season.

In the longest running transfer saga of the summer, the Red Devils winger had fluctuated between his desire to remain at Old Trafford and fulfilling his dream of playing for Real Madird.

United had always insisted that the Portugal international was not for sale, but Real have a history of getting what they want.

However, the 23-year-old appears to have brought an end to the endless speculation surrounding his future by stating his intentions to remain in England for the 2008/09 campaign.

"I will remain with Manchester United for at least another year," Ronaldo told Portuguese newspaper Publico.

Dedication

He goes on to praise United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who flew to Portugal in the aftermath of Euro 2008 to hold clear-the-air discussions with his enigmatic playmaker.

"Sir Alex Ferguson heard my arguments, I heard his and, in fact, it was settled that the best for both parties would be for me to stay," he added.

"Therefore, I can confirm that, next season, I will play for Manchester United.

"Before rumours emerge saying that I will play against my will, I want to make this clear - whoever says or writes that is lying.

"I will play for Manchester with all my heart and soul. I will fight and honour that shirt with the same commitment and dedication as always."

Ronaldo also accepted full responsibility for failing to stop the constant rumours from spiralling out of control.

"I was responsible for all this controversy," he said.

"I was the one who publicly expressed my desire to go to Real Madrid. I ended up being, even involuntarily, responsible for the poor relationship between the two clubs."

Desire

While United will be pleased to here their prized asset committing himself to the club, Ronaldo went on to admit that he maintains his dream of playing for Real at some stage in the future.

He explained: "I knew Real Madrid were interested in signing me and that they had allegedly made a very high offer to Manchester United.

"My desire was, for some time, that Manchester had accepted my transfer to Madrid.

"Saying otherwise would be to trick people and my own consciousness."

In the wake of the news that Ronaldo will be staying under his tuition next season, Ferguson was understandably in upbeat mood.

"It's very positive and we welcome him back here this week," the United boss told MUTV.

"He's always been happy here. He's always been treated properly. I have a great relationship with the boy and I think what we have to do is put this situation to bed."