Manchester United news: Cristiano Ronaldo best player I ever coached at Old Trafford, says Sir Alex Ferguson

Ferguson also dimissed suggestions that he 'made' Ronaldo into the player he is today

Ronaldo left United to join Real Madrid in 2009 for a then world-record fee (Getty)

Sir Alex Ferguson has stated that Cristiano Ronaldo was the greatest Manchester United player he managed during his time at Old Trafford.

The Scotsman also dismissed claims that he was responsible for Ronaldo’s development into one of the game’s best players and insisted that the Portuguese “made himself”.

Ferguson brought Ronaldo to United from Sporting Lisbon in 2003 for £12.2m. The player went on to flourish at the club, helping guide the side to a number of titles while picking up the Ballon d’Or himself in 2008.

While many have claimed that Ferguson's managerial expertise was crucial to Ronaldo’s evolution, the former United boss claimed that the club had simply provided him with the “tools and platform to excel”.

Talking in Nuremburg, after being awarded with the prestigious Walther Bensemann prize on Friday night, Ferguson said: "Ronaldo is a perfect example of someone who made himself. It's easy for me to say, 'yeah, I made Ronaldo',"

"Many coaches might say I made this player and I made that player, but Ronaldo made himself.

"We just gave him the tools and the platform to excel. His practice ethic was incredible.”

Ferguson’s successful reign at Old Trafford lasted 27 years, during which time he oversaw the development of some of United’s biggest stars, including Paul Scholes and Eric Cantona.


 Ronaldo has developed into of the game's all-time greats 
 (Getty)

But the 74-year-old claimed on Friday night that Ronaldo was in a league of his own.

“He was a fantastic player, he was the best.

"We had fantastic players in [Paul] Scholes, [Ryan] Giggs, and [Eric] Cantona. We had some fantastic footballers, but Ronaldo was just something else.”