Ronaldo Pledges Future to United

August 6, 2008

Cristiano Ronaldo has put an end to the biggest transfer saga of the summer, by pledging his immediate future to Manchester United.

The winger has fuelled speculation all summer by declaring his interest in moving to Real Madrid, but he has now admitted that he realises, for this year at least, that Manchester is the best place for him.

Real Madrid President Ramon Calderon has made no secret of his desire to bring Ronaldo to the the Spanish Capital, but it now seems that the star will remain at United for the time being, after an interview with a Portuguese newspaper.

“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. Therefore, I can confirm that, next season, I will play for Manchester United,” he told Publico.

“And, 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 took the blame for the transfer saga, which has caused a fractious relationship between the two clubs.

“I want to assume that I was the big responsible for all this controversy,” Ronaldo added. “It was not their fault because I was the one who publically expressed my desire to go to Real Madrid. I ended up being, even involuntarily, the responsible for the poor relationship between the two clubs.”

He did however state that it still remains his dream to move to Los Merengues, and that he has not closed the door on a move to the La Liga Champions.

“I knew that 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.”

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.