I will stay at Man Utd - Ronaldo

The 23-year-old Portugal winger had frequently expressed his desire to leave for Spanish champions Real Madrid this summer.

But he told Portuguese paper Publico: "Manager Sir Alex Ferguson heard my arguments, I heard his and it was felt the best thing would be for me to stay.

"I can confirm that next season I will play for Manchester United."

Ferguson, speaking after the club's goalless friendly with Juventus on Wednesday, said he was "pleased" Ronaldo was staying.

And Ferguson gave a revealing insight into how he dealt with the Ronaldo transfer saga, which resulted in two months of frenzied speculation over whether the player would leave.