Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has happily compared Cristiano Ronaldo with club greats Eric Cantona and George Best.

"British fans have a special appreciation for loyalty when it comes from a great foreign player," Ferguson told The Times.

"That's the reason Eric Cantona is still so revered here, isn't it; because he not only understood, but bonded to Manchester. He cherished the club and the company of his teammates.

"If there was ever a player in this world who was made for Manchester United, it was Cantona. I think he had been searching all his life for somebody who looked at him and made him feel that a place was his home. He had travelled around so many countries; there is a wee bit of the gypsy about some people. But when he came here, he knew: this is my place.

"Gary Neville told me, 'Occasionally we'd have a night out and hide it from you. We'd all say, 'Don't tell anybody about where, or at what time, we are meeting.' ' Then at training Cantona would say, 'Right! I'll see all of you later! This evening! At nine! In such and such a place.' They were all going, 'Shut up! The boss is here!'

"The point was that he was excited to have nights out with the boys. Even though he wasn't a big drinker, Cantona. A beer. A glass of wine. He just loved being part of that culture, which he'd never experienced in France.

"[When Cantona shakes your hand and looks you in the eye] . . . it's daunting. And yet, as different as they are, probably the most underrated virtue Ronaldo has, on the pitch, is his bravery."

Courage?

"Absolutely. Courage in football, as in life, comes in many forms. But the courage to continue, no matter how many times he is going to be kicked, identifies Ronaldo. Very few players have that level of courage. Some believe the greatest courage in football is the courage to win the ball.

"The other kind of courage - and it's a moral courage - is the courage to keep the ball. That's what Ronaldo has. All the great players had it. Best had it, Charlton had it, Cantona. 'I'll take the kick. I'll take the injury. But I will keep the ball. I'll beat the bully.' "