Ronaldo confirmed this week he would remain at Old Trafford despite his love of boyhood heroes Real Madrid.

The 23-year-old winger, currently sidelined after an ankle operation, has been chased by the Spanish giants for much of the summer.

It appeared inevitable Ronaldo would leave, only for Ferguson to talk him round during a meeting in Portugal last month.

And despite hefty opinion to the contrary, Ferguson thinks he could keep Ronaldo for longer.

"As he gets older I think he will appreciate being here more and more," said Ferguson. "The longer people stay at this club you tend to not want to leave. Rio Ferdinand is an obvious example of that.

"But really I'm just pleased we have managed to put all this Real Madrid stuff to bed. They know what they are dealing with now."