Cristiano Ronaldo says he considered returning to Manchester United after Rio Ferdinand tried to lure him back to Old Trafford during the summer.
The Portuguese spent six years at Old Trafford but wants to stay in the Spanish capital to win trophies, despite Rio Ferdinand`s efforts to persuade him to re-join the Red Devils.
Ferdinand had already revealed that he was constantly on the phone to the Portuguese about moving back to Old Trafford before he penned a new contract at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Ronaldo ended Lionel Messi’s four-year domination of the Ballon d`Or on Monday and confirmed afterwards that he had given serious thought to the prospect of re-joining the Red Devils after discussions with Ferdinand.
"I did think about United," he told reporters. "They are still in my heart. It’s a club where I played for six years and I love that club. I have a lot of friends there and I wish them the best.
"It was true that Rio spoke to me a lot. Rio is a great friend of mine, we played many years together at Manchester United and we were neighbours when I was there in Manchester. He’s a fantastic guy and tried to change my mind."
Ronaldo first won the Ballon d`Or while at United in 2008 after he helped the Red Devils win the Champions League, and is now focusing on leading Madrid and Portugal to further glory.
"I`m going to try to do my best to win trophies with Madrid and my country," he continued.
"This season is a challenge for me. Last year was amazing. It was very intense. I scored so many goals, 69 for Real Madrid and helped my national team to go through to the World Cup.
"This gives me motivation to work more and be better for the future. It means a lot to me that I won it after Eusebio’s passing.
"I dedicate this award to him and to my team-mates. It is for Eusebio, my team-mates, all those people who like me. It was a special night and of course Eusebio passed away but he was watching from the skies to see this great moment for a Portuguese player."
Goal.com
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.