Manchester United ace Cristiano Ronaldo is delighted to have been named FifPro Player of the Year.

Voted for by players from over 40 countries, it emphasises the widespread appeal of Ronaldo's extraordinary rise and sees him follow in the footsteps of past winners Ronaldinho and Kaka.

Ronaldo has already had enough faith in his ability to believe he could become world number one. But he accepts in his early days he spent too much time playing to the gallery and not enough on making sure United benefited from his rare talent.

"I have always played the way I do. It is natural," he said.

"If you want to be good, you have to practice, not just in training but games as well. That is my style of football.

"But I am different now compared to five years ago. Then I was dribbling but not doing anything for the team.

"Now I have more experience and I feel more mature. I do things for the team. So, sometimes I dribble, sometimes I don't."

Few would argue against his current status but with the adulation comes attention and scrutiny.

It seems every move Ronaldo makes is analysed and dissected to establish whether the 23-year-old is still hankering after a move to Real Madrid.

"People are always writing things about me. It is up to them," he said.

"If I smile it is because I smile. If don't it is because I don't. All I want to do is play well and do my best."