Manchester United: Ferguson Says Ronaldo at Old Trafford for Foreseeable Future

Sir Alex Ferguson says that Cristiano Ronaldo will be at Old Trafford for the foreseeable future. Ronaldo pledged his immediate future to Manchester United earlier this week, but stated that he would one day like to end up at Real Madrid.

That seemed to signal that this may be Ronaldo's final season as a Manchester United player but, speaking ahead of Sunday's Community Shield, Ferguson expressed confidence that the Portuguese winger will remain at the club for the four remaining years of his contract - and possibly even beyond.

"As he gets older, I think Cristiano will appreciate being here more and more," Ferguson said. "That happens with players the longer they stay here. They don't want to leave. It's unusual for anyone to want to leave Manchester United. Cristiano realizes that, too.

"We had a good meeting over in Portugal and clarified a lot of things. He was good, and I was pleased with that. That's why I was confident that everything was going to be all right. Cristiano will settle down and enjoy his career here. He's got four years on his contract, and hopefully at some point we would like to extend it. That's where we are."