Former Manchester United chairman Martin Edwards has delivered the truth behind their deal for Cristiano Ronaldo.

United snapped up the Juventus star from Sporting CP when the Portuguese was a teenager.

Edwards revealed to the Gazzetta dello Sport: "There is the legend that we bought Ronaldo because after a friendly with Sporting our players spoke with Ferguson to convince him to hire him immediately.

"But, in fact, Sir Alex already knew him, because of Carlos Queiroz, the Portuguese assistant to him, who had already told him about Ronaldo."

Edwards added: "When I first saw him at the age of 18, I was thrilled. He was very skilled with the ball, he was more of a 'trick horse,' he had a knack for it."