Ronaldo: I want to be one of the greatest ever

The 24-year-old Portuguese international became the most expensive player ever earlier this year after the Bernabeu outfit paid £80 million to prise him away from Old Trafford, where he netted 84 Premier League goals.

The current FIFA World Player of the Year made an explosive start to life in la Liga, breaking a Real Madrid club record by scoring in his first four league games, before suffering an ankle injury.

And Ronaldo has revealed that, ideally, he would like to continue playing professional football for another 15 years, with his ultimate ambition to join South American greats Pele and Maradona as one of the best players ever to have graced the game.

"I have another seven, eight years in football, or more. If my legs give me a chance to play until 40, I want to play," he told FourFourTwo Malaysia.

"But I want to be in the first page of history, the same as Maradona and Pele. I want to be there.

"I know it’s very tough but I think it’s possible if I carry on like that, to win things. I think it’s possible. I know it’s hard, but in my head, it’s possible."

And the former Sporting Lisbon starlet added that he hopes he does not have come face-to-face with former employers Manchester United in the Champions League either this season or next, as he still retains many friends from his successful six-year stint in England.

"I don’t want to play against Manchester. It’s a strange feeling if I play against them," he said.

"But you never know. In the Champions League, everything is possible but I don’t want to play against Manchester.

"I still have the same friends. I speak sometimes with Rooney, Vidic, Ferdinand, Nani, Evra, Anderson.

"It’s good to know what’s going on there and the people like to know if I’m happy here."