Sir Alex Ferguson could barely contain his smile. The Manchester United manager may have expressed confidence that Cristiano Ronaldo would stay at Old Trafford in the wake of their summit meeting in Lisbon last month, but the Portugal forward’s declaration last night that he would be going nowhere will have lifted a heavy weight off the Scot’s shoulders.

Ferguson’s mood darkened somewhat when he was asked how United’s fans might react to a player who has made no secret this summer of his desire to join Real Madrid, however, and in a clear attempt to avert a potential revolt among the Old Trafford faithful, the manager proffered a case, albeit an unconvincing one, in the Portuguese’s favour.

If anyone has cause for complaint with Ronaldo, it is Ferguson, but while the player may well end up being reprimanded in private, the manager stuck by the policy that has served him so well for 22 years at United by mounting a rigorous public defence of the 23-year-old.

For all their bluster, Real never lodged a bid for Ronaldo, but Ferguson argued that the interest alone and offer of vast riches — the Spanish champions were reportedly prepared to make him the first £200,000-a-week player — could easily turn the head of a young man.

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And by making a pointed reference to the death of Ronaldo’s father, Dinis, in September 2005, Ferguson implied that the player had struggled not only to come to terms with the tragedy, but also the realisation that he and he alone would be responsible for supporting his family.

“I flew to Lisbon a few weeks ago and we cleared the air,” Ferguson said. “The boy has been through some troubled times in terms of approaches from the people in Spain, but once he knew my stance he settled down and he’s said this tonight, which we are all pleased about. It is very positive and we will welcome him back this week.

“I think the fans have got to understand that a young boy can be tempted by all this money, particularly a young lad from Madeira.

“His father died when he was a young man and he’s had to look after his mother, his sister and his brother. I think you can understand it . Cristiano knows this more than anything, he’s very happy, he’s always been happy here.

“He’s never had a complaint about Manchester United, he’s always been treated properly.

“I’ve got a great relationship with the boy, the players have a great relationship with him. I think what we can do is put this to bed now, it’s finished. The boy is a United player and that’s the most important thing.”

Whether Ferguson’s pleas fall on deaf ears remain to be seen, although there is no disputing the anger felt by United fans towards Ronaldo. Many expressed outrage at his claims that his situation at Old Trafford was akin to slavery, especially given that the player earns £120,000 a week, when some of them are struggling to meet the cost of rising ticket prices.

Others felt that he besmirched the name of United by going public with his desire to move to Real so soon after helping the club to the Barclays Premier League title and the European Cup and that such a show of disloyalty represented a cardinal sin that was largely unforgivable.

Ronaldo, at least, seemed to recognise that his remarks had been poorly received, although whether his public apology is enough to win back the support and admiration that he enjoyed last season is unclear. Whatever happens, the reception he receives at Old Trafford once his ankle injury has cleared up should be interesting.

Patrice Evra, the United defender, and Sam Bethell, the Chelsea groundsman, yesterday denied charges issued by the FA over the fracas at Stamford Bridge after the Barclays Premier League game between the teams on April 26. Both men have requested personal hearings.

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