Ferguson says Ronaldo is staying

Ferguson says Ronaldo is staying

Ronaldo is currently recovering from ankle surgery

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted Cristiano Ronaldo will be at Old Trafford next season and will not be joining Real Madrid.

Ferguson met the winger - now out for three months following ankle surgery - in Lisbon last week after speculation about the 23-year-old's future.

"It went well. We put across our points of view, where we stand and where the player stands," explained Ferguson.

"I can say he'll be a Manchester United player next season. He won't be sold."

United will hope that Ferguson's comments at a press conference during the club's pre-season tour of South Africa will put an end to rumours linking Ronaldo with a switch to the Spanish champions.

Ferguson added: "It's not a difficult position. I was on my holiday and I was not going to interrupt my holiday, believe me.

606: DEBATE Give your reaction to Ferguson's comments

"I wasn't panicked because the player is under contract so the strength and the rights are with Manchester United.

"What we have done well is to say nothing. We've kept quiet on this matter and kept it private and what I said to Cristiano remains private."

Ronaldo, who scored 42 goals for United last season and whose contract runs until 2012, is currently recuperating after his surgery, which ruled him out of United's trip to South Africa.

Ferguson confirmed: "I did go and see him last week in Portugal and it was very amicable - there were no problems. That's where we are and we carry on.

"He's on crutches for the first four weeks, he'll be in rehabilitation for the next four and then the following four he'll be back into football training.

"The time mapped out is three months and we won't bring him back a day earlier than that.

"I think when players have operations we have a responsibility that the player comes back 100% and we'll carry that out as we normally do.

"There'll be no risk-taking - we never take risks. Our goal is to always make sure that the player gets back 100% and that will be the same in the case of Cristiano Ronaldo."