Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted he almost quit the club during the summer.
The Portugal international became a hate figure for England fans after winking to his bench following his club-mate Wayne Rooney’s sending off for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho during the World Cup quarterfinal, an action that led many to believe he had helped persuade the referee to show the red card.
”It’s true I said after the World Cup I might have to leave,” Ronaldo said in an interview with the club’s website. ”But I spoke to my agent and United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and I took a calm decision and decided to stay.
”I really think it is the best decision but when we are hot-headed sometimes we say things we don’t mean. Whether I will be here for another two, three, five or 10 years or until the end of my career I don’t know.”
Ronaldo scored a late equaliser for United at Reading on Saturday, meaning the club have slipped off the top of the table after picking up just one point from their last two games, but midfielder Michael Carrick has insisted there is no reason to panic.
”We’re playing OK,” he told MUTV. ”It’s not like we’re struggling. There’s obviously a pressure in itself playing for United but when you want to be challenging for things, you want to be winning every game. We will have to move on and bounce back.” — Sapa-dpa