via Guardian
“I won’t celebrate if I score against United,” Cristiano Ronaldo told the Spanish newspaper AS. “I still speak with Ferguson. I miss him a lot, and I miss Manchester United. I felt very good there, it was like a family.
“I had six great years there and am still friends with my team-mates. It is thanks to Manchester United that I am here playing for Real Madrid. Without them, I wouldn’t be the player I am today.”
During United’s victorious Champions League campaign in 2007-08, Ronaldo scored in both games against his former club, Sporting Lisbon, and did not celebrate either goal, also going on to apologise to the home fans after scoring the winning goal for United in Lisbon.
Ferguson said on Friday: “It will be fantastic to have him back,” and joked: “It is in his contract he can’t play against us. It would be a disgrace if he played.”
More from Cristiano and Sir Alex on Manchester United vs Real Madrid after the Jump………..
He added: “When he comes on to the pitch at Old Trafford he will get a great reception, quite rightly. After that they can boo him as much as they like. You have to remember, he came here at 17 and developed himself into a great footballer.
“We are proud of the part we played in his career. To get six years out of a boy when he comes to us at 17, we have done very well.”
Ronaldo will be celebrated despite eventually demanding to leave, the move to Madrid allowing him to fulfil a childhood ambition. “He always had a hankering to go to Real Madrid at some point in his career and we helped him on that way,” said Ferguson.
“It wasn’t disloyalty. I got another year out of him when he wanted go the previous year. He honoured that and did fantastic for us and then went with our blessing.
“My way of looking at it was that we were lucky to have him for six years. The United fans would share that.”
Asked about his rivalry with Madrid’s former Chelsea and Porto manager José Mourinho, Ferguson said: “I don’t have a great record against him so we need to put that right.”
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