CRISTIANO RONALDO has rubbished rumours he will
join Real Madrid in the summer and said: “I’m sick of having to
tell people I’m happy at United.” The brilliant Portuguese star,
23, knows the Spanish champions want to smash the world transfer
record by signing him for £90million — but he is not
interested.
Ronaldo insists his decision to stay loyal to
Manchester United and Alex Ferguson is nothing to do with the
promise of a new £150,000-a-week salary, as exclusively revealed in
Sport last Saturday. He said: “I just don’t care what the whole
world seems to want to say about me or speculate about my future.
“I’ve said it a thousand times and, by now, people should realise .
. . I’m totally happy at United.
“I’m in the form of my life and I’m having the season
of my career so far. So it makes me mad sometimes to read some of
the things which are supposed to be related to my future. “I get
angry but I’m trying to accept it’s a waste of energy to be furious
because it is not worth it. “It’s not by chance I’ve ended up at
United. I always showed that I had the basic talent and commitment
to become a professional player.
Beating George Best was special
“Then my development here has been aided by the support
and the correct environment for my talent to develop. There is an
attitude of hard work here that I need and like. “This season is
massively demanding on all fronts, personally, for United and for
Portugal. “So what I’m trying to do is set everything else aside
and be ready to give my utmost in every match from now until the
end of United’s season and then into the European Championships
with Portugal.
“If I’m performing at the best level of my life, then
it’s not by fluke. Far from it — I’ve worked damn hard to try and
achieve exactly that. “I’m pushing myself mentally and physically.
I’m working constantly to better myself — it’s for those reasons
alone, and not by luck, that the results are coming and the goals
are flowing.”
The No 7 feels deep pride at breaking George Best’s
historic scoring record of most goals for a United winger with 37
strikes this term. But he does not want to be remembered for that
alone. His playboy image bears no relationship to the reality of
the young man who is almost always last off the training pitch at
Carrington and who practises and practises to make all his tricks,
flicks and free-kicks look so simple.
But they are not. He added: “People are talking about
the free-kicks that I’ve scored this season but there is absolutely
no secret to scoring them. “It is nothing more than work and
repetition over and again. "I’m scoring them so that gives me more
confidence to keep on trying and practising but the only
explanation for the fact that they go in is dedication and hard
work.
“Of course I’m honoured and proud that I’ve managed to
beat George Best’s record this season — something like that is
deeply special as a moment in your career. “But the most important
thing that happened that night was that we beat Bolton.
“Only the fans can say what they think about
comparisons between me and George Best and whether I’m a good
successor to his wonderful legacy. “In general, I think the fans
only want the best for the club and, rather than compare us, the
important thing is that my performances are helping United succeed
and that makes all of us happy.”
As the title moves to within touching distance for
United, Ronaldo is preparing to stage a grandstand finish to the
season with victory in the Champions League and European
Championships with Portugal. He said: “There’s enormous motivation
for all of us that the Champions League semi-final first leg is in
the Camp Nou against Barcelona — it won’t be easy. “But we have
massive confidence in ourselves to come through it.
“Then I’m sure I’m still going to be in condition to
help Portugal this summer. “My training has always been focused on
remaining at my best until the Championships are finished because,
in my opinion, we’ve got a Portugal squad which is capable of
becoming champions of Europe.”
