Champions' League final: Ronaldo to bow out at the top?

Shining star has nothing left to achieve in this country if United win and can head for the sun. By Nick Townsend

Late on Thursday 14 May, this may have been the diary entry of Cristiano Ronaldo, aged 23 and a quarter, before his head hit the pillow: "Training at Carrington. Afterwards field queries about my future from the English and foreign media. Many enquiries. Answer fewer questions about my talent and the team's Champions' League final prospects. To London, and Football Writers' Dinner, with Sir Alex. Receive my second successive Football Writers' Footballer of the Year trophy. My acceptance speech is well received, I think. I make them laugh. 'Thank you writers,' I begin. 'I think you do well.' I get a standing ovation."

He will have slept a content though, one suspects, somewhat confused young man. In the coming few days, the Portuguese can be assured of two things: persistent acclaim for his extravagant abilities and anticipation of them proving significant when Manchester United meet Chelsea on Wednesday; but also the need to respond to constant speculation about the direction of his career once the Champions' League is won or lost. With Real Madrid, via their media conduits, making their desire to claim the ultimate footballing possession all too evident, one senses the United midfielder is desperatelyattempting to be as diplomatic as his ambition will allow.

But why should he consider abandoning United, particularlyhaving signed a new five-year contract only last year? He plays in the most-watched league in the world, is revered by the United faithful and, you suspect, begrudgingly by the followers of every other club too. Under the guidance of a manager he admires and trusts, he has scored 41 goals this season. He is popular with his team-mates, who fully appreciate his contribution to their own fortunes. And yet. He will have been at Old Trafford for five years comethe summer. If United are triumphant on Wednesday in Moscow, he will have achieved it all: a Champions' League medal, two domestic titles and an FA Cup winner's medal. No one would blame the world's most complete attacking midfielder if he decided that he had come to the end of his run at the Theatre of Dreams and demanded a new stage.

If ever a man is leaving his options open, it is the Madeira-born player, who, it is claimed, could become the world's highest-paid player, on £10 million a year, if he succumbs to Real's overtures. "I speak about United after the Champions' League," he said. "Everyone knows I'm very happy here. I think I'm at the right club. I want to stay." He left the impression that there may be another Premier League season in him when he was asked whether he would be here next season: "Yes, I think so, but in the future you never know. I enjoy my time playing here in the Premier League. It's fantastic. At the moment it's the best football in the world. I'm very happy at the club. The people are fantastic.

"The boss is the reason I'm here. He has helped me a lot. I feel very good. I want to carry on. I have many friends in the club. I've been here five years now, and know everybody. The staff, players. I think this is my home. But I don't know."

He added: "I have scored 41 goals and play very well, in my opinion, but I think I have more things to learn. I think I am playing with the right players, in the right club, and I want to carry on, work harder and achieve more – more titles, more awards. For me that is important."

Surely, though, there must be a part of him which believes that, in English football, at least, he had ascended to a plateau of achievement? He smiled wryly. "A year ago, the lads said, 'You'll never have a season like that again, you'll never score 23 goals'. Now I have 41. Next season I don't know what I'm going to do. If I score only 20 or 30, maybe the people will start to criticise. But I'm ready for that."

The irony is that, for all the praise that comes his way, there are two question marks against his quality. The first is his constant appealing for free-kicks which are, on inspection, not always justified. Significantly, on Thursday, Sir Bobby Charlton, 42 years on from his Footballer of the Year award, did not shy from issuing a small but succinct home truth to this year's recipient: "He's not perfect. He sometimes tries to get something he hasn't really earned."

There is also a belief in some quarters that he is not a "big-game player". The eyes gleam contemptuously at this accusation. "I scored two against Arsenal. I score against Liverpool. I score against every team in England. I am very happy with my season. I scored 41 goals. I need to show nothing. I win every award." This is a young man who will never suffer from false modesty.

Criticism does not make him angry, he claims, "because I know I'm the best". And few would argue with that blunt piece of self-assessment.

Watch Manchester United take on Chelsea on Wednesday on ITV1 and Sky Sports 1, kick-off 7.45pm