Fergie: We were lucky to have him

Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted that United were lucky to keep Cristiano Ronaldo as long as they did.

Ronaldo looks set to sign for Real Madrid when he completes his medical later this week, and had been hankering after a move for some time - most notably telling the world last summer that he wasnted 'to play for his dream club'.

Sir Alex told the Daily Mail that "He wanted to leave, it is as simple as that. He was going to go some time. We've done well to keep him for so long."

Meanwhile, intenational boss Carlos Queiroz has stood by the player, claiming that Ronaldo WAS loyal to United.

"When you talk about loyalty, you must understand that it works in two directions. And, more than 95% of the time, moves are dictated by the managers at the clubs. They say 'I want to hire this player' or 'I want to release this player'.

"Once in a while some players have the capacity and the power to create their own motivations.

"In the modern game, loyalty is to be a great professional, to be committed to your club and its goals and ambitions. In that respect, nobody can point one finger against Cristiano because, as a professional, he is brilliant."