Cristiano Ronaldo reveals how Man Utd father figure Sir Alex Ferguson talked him out of Man City transfer

CRISTIANO RONALDO has confirmed it was Sir Alex Ferguson who convinced him to snub Manchester City.

Just over 14 months ago, Ronaldo re-signed for Manchester United in a sensational comeback story that stunned and delighted the world of football.

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He was en route to United’s great rivals City when a personal call from his amazing mentor and father figure drove him back to where he started.

During an exclusive interview with Sun Sport columnist Piers Morgan, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner patted himself on the chest and said: “I followed my heart.”

“He (Sir Alex) said to me, ‘It’s impossible for you to come to Manchester City,’ and I said, ‘OK, boss’.”

In his first game at Old Trafford, the self-proclaimed ‘Theatre of Dreams’, he scored twice in a stunning 4-1 win over Newcastle, cheered on by Sir Alex and Ronaldo’s ecstatic, crying mother.

The crazed United fans chanted “Viva Ronaldo” for hours after the game, with team-mate Marcus Rashford tweeting that night: “Like he never left.”

Ronaldo finished last season as the club’s top scorer with 24 goals, but a failure to qualify for the Champions League under former boss Ralf Rangnick meant he was looking to leave in the summer.

Following his widely publicized failure in the summer, Ronaldo has been forced to play a role largely from the bench in the Premier League this season.

And with his game action largely confined to the trophies, he has scored just three goals since Ten Hag took charge at the start of the season.

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Tensions have been building between Ronaldo and the Dutchman for months.

And that boiled over last month with a row following the striker’s strike and refusal to come off the bench against Tottenham, leading to the manager suspending him.

Speaking of Ten Hag, Ronaldo told Morgan: “I have no respect for him because he shows no respect for me.

“If you don’t respect me, I will never respect you.”

Speaking of Rangnick, who hasn’t managed a football team in over a decade, he said: “If you’re not even a manager, how do you become the boss of Manchester United? I had never heard of him.”

Watch Piers Morgan Uncensored weekdays on Sky 526, Virgin Media 606, Freeview 237, Freesat 217 or on Fox Nation in the US