Sir Alex Ferguson is like father in football for me, says Ronaldo

After signing with Manchester United, Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo on Wednesday said that legendary coach Sir Alex Ferguson is like a father figure for him.

Ronaldo also revealed that Sir Alex played a big role in roping the Portuguese striker for Manchester United. In his earlier stint with the Red Devils, Ronaldo led the side to three Premier League titles and the Champions League between 2003 and 2009, scoring 118 goals in 292 games under Alex Ferguson.

"As everybody knows, since I signed for Manchester United at 18, Sir Alex Ferguson was the key. I remember when we played against Manchester when I was at Sporting Lisbon. For me, Sir Alex Ferguson is like a father in football for me. He helped me a lot, he taught me many things, and in my opinion, of course, he had a big role because of the relationship that we had, we keep in touch all the time, and he's an unbelievable person," Ronaldo told MUTV.

"I really like him a lot and he was the main key for me to be in the position that I am, that I signed for Manchester United," he added.

When asked about his conversations with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ronaldo said: "Well, we had a chat, but of course I'm going to have time to speak with him face to face, to know what he expects. As you know, I played with him for two or three years at Manchester United so I have a good relationship with him but now with a different role, I'm a player and he's a coach."

"But it doesn't matter, my relationship with him is great and as I say before, I'm there in Manchester to help the team achieve his results and the coach can count on me for whatever he wants. So I'm available for everything," he added.

On Tuesday, the Premier League club confirmed that they have reached an agreement with Juventus for the transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo, subject to agreement of personal terms, visa, and medical.

Ronaldo is now expected to make his return to the pitch for United on September 11 against Newcastle after the international break, where Portugal will face Ireland, Qatar, and Azerbaijan.

( With inputs from ANI )