Sir Bobby Charlton has conceded he was once embarrassed
by Cristiano Ronaldo's antics, but now admits he is desperate to
keep the Portuguese talisman at Old Trafford.
Ronaldo arrived in England with a reputation for being somewhat of
a showman and his first few years in the Premiership often saw the
precociously talented forward playing as much for himself, or at
least for the crowd, as he did for the team as a collective.
A plethora of tricks and skills showed undeniable talent but all
too often Ronaldo was criticised for not finding an end product to
match the showmanship.
If this was a criticism that could fairly be levelled at Ronaldo,
and Charlton believes it is, then this season has seen the player
firmly put such accusations to bed, with a series of scintillating
displays for both club and country.
Charlton has been one of many transfixed by a player widely
regarded to be the best in the world at present, and it is with
both hope and expectation that he looks to Ronaldo committing his
long-term future to United - with Real Madrid and Barcelona waiting
in the wings should he elect for a fresh challenge.
"Sometimes he has been over-ambitious," Charlton told the
newspaper.
"When he first came over he just seemed to want to show people how
many tricks he could do - and that was a little embarrassing
sometimes.
"Cristiano has said that he is very happy here. He is a magnificent
player, a talisman.
"You don't normally expect a forward to be a talisman figure.
Cristiano is a player we don't want to lose at all.
"He is getting better than we ever imagined. Ronaldo is a unique
talent. I feel he would prefer to stay here.
"If it's just a case of money, we have to make sure we have enough
to keep him here.
"He can be remembered here as one of the best."
