Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo is desperate to avoid Manchester United in the Champions League knockouts.

The European giants could meet as early as the first knockout round in February depending on results in next week's final group games.

Ronaldo, 24, said: "I don't want to play against Manchester. It will be a strange feeling if I play them. Mr Ferguson helped me a lot in my career.

"I was there six years and he taught me many things. I keep the same relationship with him. He's a good friend of mine. I still have the same friends.

"I speak sometimes with Rooney, Vidic, Ferdinand, Nani, Evra, Anderson."

Ronaldo revealed his ultimate goal is to remembered as a legend.

He added: "If my legs let me play until I'm 40, I want to play. But I want to be in the first page of history, the same as Maradona and Pele."