Fergie: Ronaldo can be the greatest

Fergie said: “Carlos (Queiroz) said a few weeks ago that Cristiano can become the best player in the world – and I actually agree.

“He has everything and he is learning the game now – when to pass, when to hold. The variety of his game has changed and it’s quite remarkable.

“It’s something we’ve been working on with the boy and all of a sudden he is grasping all the things we’ve been saying and that’s very encouraging.

“He has scored something like 16 goals in 40-odd games for Portugal. At 21 years of age that’s some record, especially as he is a wide player. That’s an amazing statistic and it gives you an indication of where the boy is going.

“In terms of players who can attack and defend at speed, there is no one like Ronaldo in the world game. No-one comes anywhere near him.

“There are some central midfield players like Kaka and Ronaldinho who will attack from central areas very well. They are world-class players, and Ronaldo is certainly in that bracket now.”