Sir Alex takes the plaudits, but hails Ronaldo as 'the best in the world'

Sir Alex Ferguson is undoubtedly the most decorated manager in English football at present after two successful decades at Manchester United. He was honoured by the PFA at their annual awards dinner on Sunday evening with a Merit Award for his services to the game. Givemefootball was present to talk to Ferguson on Sunday evening at the Grosvenor Hotel in London as the Red Devils performed a clean sweep of awards with Cristiano Ronaldo claiming both Young Player and Players' Player of the Year too.

Ian Clarkson spoke to Ferguson about his career in football for a two-part interview that will conclude tomorrow. Firstly, however, he waxed lyrical about the Portuguese winger he describes as 'the best player in the world'.

WHEN WERE YOU FIRST AWARE OF CRISTIANO RONALDO'S TALENTS?

We knew about Cristiano Ronaldo when he was 15 or 16. We had formed a certain type of alliance with Sporting Lisbon when Carlos (Queiroz) came to us in that first year. The subject of Cristiano came up with two or three young players at that time. We struck a deal whereby we could get him in two years time. Next summer we went to America and had a pre-season friendly against Sporting Lisbon and he was sensational. The night before we had a meal with the directors of Sporting and they said they had had offers from Real Madrid and Arsenal and Barcelona had been interested too. We had to make a decision based on what we were going to see the following evening on whether we should make a move immediately or wait a year and hope the boy would stay with them for another year.

SO WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO SIGN HIM?

We knew we had to get him after that game and I said to Peter Kenyon that we weren't going to leave the stadium until we had signed the boy. We had him down with his agents and got his mother down the next day and did the deal immediately.

HOW GOOD CAN HE BE AS HE IS BEING COMPARED TO SOME OF THE GREATS OF THE GAME?

The difficulty with Cristiano is that he has got a new kind of publicity comparing him with Pele and Maradona. Of course, it is ridiculous, as he is only 22 and he has a long way to go. He has to play in consistently well in European games and World Cup games before you can judge how great he is. Pele was playing in a World Cup final at the age of 17, so it is a hell of a benchmark for anyone to be judged on. The Pele and Maradona standards are in front of him. What I do think though, is that he is the best player in the world at this time – I really do. His season has been incredible. Twenty one goals for a winger is exceptional and his positioning and getting into the game at this moment is very high.

HE APPEARS TO PLAY WITH REAL ENTHUSIASM ALL THE TIME AND A SMILE ON HIS FACE?

I think young people want to play football. Sometimes you have to drag him off the training pitch as extra practice with the ball is part of his upbringing but I think that helps him to keep his standards up. At this time of year where players are starting to get tired and you can see as games wear on that we have got to try and preserve his energies for the important games. We did it last week in terms of his practice and we are going to have to do it as we have a lot of important games coming up and he needs a lot of energy and we are down to something like 14 fit players now. There is a big onus on the boy as he has been carrying the banner for a really long time now.

TALKING OF PRESSURE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU SEEM TO THRIVE ON WITH THE TITLE RACE HOTTING UP?

I can handle it but I don't know whether I thrive on it. I don't know anybody who wants to go through those kinds of agonies. You survive and you can handle it is important. Handling pressure isnt an easy thing for anyone nowadays but the main thing is that I have always kept a work ethic going and that is important.