Manchester United assistant manager Carlos Queiroz has urged Cristiano Ronaldo to remain at Old Trafford because of the "affection" the club has for the talented winger.

Ronaldo's future at United remains up in the air with speculation still rife over a possible move to Real Madrid.

"Manchester United is very special," Queiroz told Portuguese radio station Renascenca. "Because of that we know how to surround Cristiano completely with all the affection and all the attention he deserves.

"However, not speaking is the most sensible course of action at this moment, so that we don't contribute to a less than positive spectacle and so we don't aid those whose interests are difficult to identify."

Queiroz is something of a father figure to Ronaldo at United and was instrumental in keeping the player at Old Trafford in 2006 following his role in Wayne Rooney's dismissal in that year's World Cup quarter-final between Portugal and England.