I'd never leave Real Madrid to join Manchester City, insists Ronaldo

Ronaldo: I'd never join Manchester City

13 Feb 2013 12:30:00

The Real Madrid forward insists his "heart is in Manchester United" but reiterates that he is happy to remain with the Spanish champions

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo insists he would never join Manchester City because his "heart" remains at Old Trafford.

The Portugal international faces his former club for the first time on Wednesday evening as Jose Mourinho's side host Sir Alex Ferguson's men at the Bernabeu in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Earlier this season, speculation grew over the 28-year-old's future in Spain after he claimed he was unhappy but the Madrid ace has ruled out a future move to United's arch rivals - and City have long been monitoring Ronaldo's situation, as revealed by Goal.com last March.

"To play for City not United? I’m not going to do that. Why? Because my heart’s in Manchester United, that’s why," Ronaldo told The Sun.

"I can say it would be very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very difficult to play at Manchester City. Very difficult because of Manchester United."

Ronaldo has reiterated his desire to remain with the Spanish champions beyond the end of the season but also hints that he would be open to a return to Old Trafford in the future.

"I am a player of Real Madrid and I’m happy here, my family is happy and everything is going well for me here. The future? I don’t know — only God knows the future," Ronaldo said.

"I can’t say I’m never going back to Man United — but I can say I’m good here and I want to be here.

"Let’s leave it at that and see what God gives me in the future — but I repeat I am happy here at Madrid."