Cristiano Ronaldo believes he could score 50 goals for Manchester United next season after striking 41 times during his side’s current campaign.

Ronaldo’s penalty against Wigan on Sunday helped United win the English title and took his league tally to 31 - equalling Alan Shearer’s Premier League record for a 38-game season.

The Portugal star’s impressive total this term, boosted by another 10 in the Champions League and FA Cup, has played a key role in United’s title success and their Champions League final appearance.

It is even more remarkable considering Ronaldo often plays as a winger rather than a striker but he sees no reason why he can’t reach a half century of goals next year.

“Fifty? I don’t know. I’ll try my best. I don’t look for goals, I look to play well and if the goals are coming, it’s good,” he told MUTV.

“I think I’ve not just improved this season; I try to improve every year. I’m better now than five years ago.

“I think at the right club, playing with the right players, you learn all the time. This season has been good for me because I’ve scored many goals and the team have played fantastically to win the Premier League.”

United’s victory at the JJB Stadium was part of a perfect day for Ronaldo, who was voted the club’s Player of the Year by their fans and his team-mates at an awards ceremony at Old Trafford later on Sunday.

His stunning free-kick against Portsmouth was also voted the club’s goal of the season.

Ronaldo admitted the feeling when the final whistle confirmed United as champions was unforgettable.

“Sometimes you don’t have the words to say what it feels like to be a champion. It’s amazing,” he said.

“I would have preferred it if it was at Old Trafford because the atmosphere would have been brilliant but we won at the JJB and it’s very good to be champions.”

With the title retained, Ronaldo is focused on winning the Champions League for the first time. United have pipped Chelsea in the league and now face Avram Grant’s side in Moscow on May 21.

Ronaldo knows United have the momentum after their domestic success and he can’t wait for his first appearance in Europe’s showpiece match.

“It’s going to be fantastic if we win the Champions League. The feeling is going to be amazing if we win,” he said.

“In the final you never know, it is 50-50. I’m very happy and proud to play in the final, this is my first time.

“I feel very excited, the lads have belief and it is a great opportunity for all of the players. The lads want to win and of course I want to win as well.

“We have a great opportunity. Why not? I’m sure in this game that if you have the opportunity to win, you win.” {afp}

Inter Milan and Portuguese legend Luis Figo says the talent of Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo has no limits.

“He has enough quality to do whatever he wants in the game,” gushed Figo. “I think if I had his quality, I wouldn’t have had to work so hard in my career!

“He’s fast, good in the air, strong, technically perfect … he is very complete.”

Asked if he believed former club Real Madrid could land Ronaldo, Figo declared: “I see that as difficult because he plays for a big club and is happy there. But you never know.

“You never close doors, because everyone wants to always improve.” {triballfootball.com}

Added pictures of Ronaldo celebrating the Premiership title and during the match against Wigan. Yesterday Ronaldo won not only the english premier league but also a portuguese “golden globe” for “best footballer of the year”. As he was at Manchester, he wasnt able to attend the event, but he was represented by his sisters and they also played a video of him saying thank you to everyone who voted (he also joked and asked everyone to vote for him again next year).

GALLERY LINKS
11 May: Celebrating Premiership Title (2007/2008)
11 May 08: VS Wigan

The English Premier League table has been finalised, and after a nail-biting afternoon up and down the country, Manchester United have won the Premier League title, and Birmingham and Reading have been relegated to the Championship.

Manchester Utd started the afternoon knowing that a win against Wigan would guarantee them the title. Their fate was in their own hands. United started shakily, but Alex Ferguson’s team never looked liked they were going to lose at the JJB Stadium.

Just after the half hour mark, Boyce tripped Wayne Rooney in the Wigan box. Up steps Cristiano Ronaldo to send Kirkland the wrong way and slot home his 31st premiership goal of the season - an outstanding campaign for the Portugese maestro.

Ryan Giggs made it 2-0 after 80 minutes to put the final nail in the coffin with regards to Chelsea’s title hopes. After picking up Rooney’s pass, Giggs held off two Wigan defenders before coolly slotting home. Watch Match of the Day tonight for Ferguson’s dance on the touchline! Who can blame him though….

Chelsea, meanwhile, knew that all they could do was win - and hope United slipped up at Wigan. Avram Grant’s players attacked from the very first minute, but couldn’t find a way through a solid Bolton defence. With Chelsea throwing everything at them - including the kitchen sink - Bolton continued to frustrate them until the 62nd minute - when Andrei Shevchenko gave the Stamford Bridge fans a glimmer of hope.

In the 90th minute, Davies equalised for Bolton meaning that Manchester United finish the season 2 points above Chelsea.

John Terry suffered a dislocated elbow after an accidental collision with keeper Petr Cech and Bolton striker Kevin Davies. With the Champions League final only 10 days away, it was feared that Terry had broken his arm and was rushed to hospital. However, after the match, it was revealed that the Chelsea captain had suffered from a dislocated elbow - and it was “put back in” while in the ambulance. Nice!! Terry should be fit to face Man Utd in the Champions League final on the 21st May.

At the other end of the table, Fulham’s hope and excitement carried over from last week’s comeback at Craven Cottage last week seemed to be in vain. with just 15 minutes left of the season they were in 20th place and going down. In the 76th minute Danny Murphy scored what could be the most important goal of his career. Despite wins from both other clubs fighting relegation, Fulham survive.

Birmingham beat Blackburn, and Reading thrashed Derby 4-0 at Pride Park. Despite this, both Birmingham and Reading join Derby in the Championship next season.

In the race for the UEFA Cup spot, Everton just needed a point at home to Newcastle to claim it. They did it in style and with ease after beating Newcastle 3-0 with goals from Yakubu (2) and Lescott.

In Sven Goran Eriksson’s last game in charge of Man City (if recent reports are confirmed), he suffered an embarrassing 8-1 defeat to Middlesbrough following Dunne’s sending off in the 15th minute - which incidentally, could ruin City’s chances of qualifying for the UEFA Cup through the Fair Play League. {cldsport.co.uk}

Gallery updated with 271 picture of Ronaldo in various unsorted matches (manchester United).

GALLERY LINK
Matches

PS: From now on the gallery is only for registered users, but please feel free to register, it only takes a second ;).

Every promising Manchester United winger since the mid-1970s has been labeled the ‘new George Best’ — a wholly unfair tag, not just to the player concerned but to the late great Northern Irish international who dazzled the world with the quickest feet the modern game has ever seen.

To those who saw Best in his prime, comparing anybody to him has proved to be sheer folly.

But fans and commentators alike crave new superstars and comparisons are only natural, no matter how inaccurate they may or may not be.

Well for once those comparisons have come true, for United now have their modern day ‘Best’ and — whisper it quietly — there are many who believe that the current No.7 even surpasses that ultimate superstar of the sixties.

To put it bluntly, Cristiano Ronaldo is the greatest footballer currently playing the game.

The Portuguese international, once derided in his adopted country for helping to get United teammate Wayne Rooney sent off in a vital international match, and for a propensity to go to ground far too easily, is having the sort of season that is almost too unbelievable for words.

His tally of 30 league goals is one away from Alan Shearer’s 38-game record of 31 in the 1995-96 season but, of course, Shearer was an out-and-out striker. In fact, add the 10 goals he has scored in Europe and domestic cup matches, then he has a record of 40 from 46 matches this season.

Ronaldo has pace, power, strength, skill and bravery. He is the ultimate complete player. He can beat an opponent going inside or outside, has a deadly eye in front of goal and is sensational in the air, as his many headed goals this season testify.

Then there are his free-kicks, sensationally delivered in a totally unique style, chopping down on the ball with his foot to create a movement that has left goalkeepers completely baffled.

His supreme talent leaves Manchester United on the brink of a Premier League/ Champions League double — with only Chelsea standing in their way in both competitions.

Individually, the 23-year-old has already lifted both the PFA Player of the Year awards and the Football Writers’ honour — a double he also achieved last year as well on his way to scoring 17 goals as United won their first Premier League title in three seasons.

Last year he came second in the European Footballer of the Year list and third in the World Player of the Year, both awards he is expected to win this season.

Real Madrid and Barclona would both love to have the player in their ranks, and the United management and fans must worry that eventually Ronaldo will want to return to the sunshine and climate of his roots.

In the meantime, they can rejoice in watching Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro in action, the rightful successor to the legend that was George Best. {cnn.com}

According to Sport, Calderon is willing to emulate what Florentino Perez when he broke the world record transfer fee by signing Zinedine Zidane from Juventus in 2001.

Real have been after Cristiano Ronaldo for quite some time and having failed to land Kaka and Cesc Fabregas in previous attempts, Calderon is ready to stop at nothing in order to take Ronaldo from the Theatre of Dreams and bring him to the Bernabeu.

Reports in Spain have revealed that Los Merengues will be receiving bigger TV rights income and that the chief is not scared to spend the cash.

Ronaldo earns €13m per season at United and his current deal expires in 2014. Calderon is interested but he said, “I do not want to make promises which cannot be kept but we are the richest club in the world.”

When Calderon was elected president he made a promise that he would sign some great players such as Ronaldo and Kaka but it hasn’t happened just yet.

One thing is for sure and that is Calderon would not be afraid to splash the cash, especially on the United star, who has set the world on fire this season with some brilliant individual displays.   {goal.com}

Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho, 28, reckons the Blues’ title rivals, Manchester United, are over-reliant on his Portugal team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo - and that they may pay the price for that on Sunday.

Carvalho believes Chelsea, at home to Bolton on Sunday, will win the Premier League title if Ronaldo and United are at all below-par when they go to the JJB to take on Wigan Athletic in their final match.

Carvalho told The Sun: “Cristiano is their big star but he is human too and could fail under all the expectation.

“They will have more pressure on them this Sunday than us because nearly everyone believes the title is already United’s.

“Miracles do happen. I am just hoping Wigan take all three points and that leaves us to beat Bolton.

“I am convinced we will beat Bolton, so the key to the title will be at Wigan,”
he said, adding that Wigan manager and former Manchester United skipper Steve Bruce will be pulling out all the stops to beat his old club.

He stressed: “I feel certain we will see a proper match at Wigan and that Manchester United will suffer problems. “Even so, I would have preferred different opponents for United. Tougher ones.

“But you could not predict a last day situation like this. Steve Bruce is a legend at Old Trafford. But he is a professional coach and I believe he will not want to lose at home on the final day.”

Carvalho remains optimistic that Chelsea will complete a remarkable Double by edging United out to claim the league title and then breaking the Red Devils’ hearts in Moscow to win the Champions League.

He said: “It has been a sensational race and for us to go into the final day level on points is incredible. Many people wrote us off after two months and now we have the chance to win an amazing Double. The whole squad believes we can do it.” {goal.com}

Wes Brown has claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo is indisputably “the best player in the world”, who can lead Manchester United to a Premier League and European Cup double.

The England defender insisted that Ronaldo had no individual rivals in world football and backed his team-mate to prove the difference as United chase two trophies.

Brown, 28, made his United debut 10 years ago this week and believes that their back line is the best he has played in. The statistics back him up - United can boast the tightest defence in the top flight, having conceded three fewer goals than nearest rivals Chelsea.  Source: telegraph

England national team head coach Fabio Capello has revealed the names of the players who he rates as the best in the current season in the Premiership and who should be declared as the league’s top stars.

Capello’s favourites turned out to be not just one player but three players, namely Liverpool’s Fernando Torres, Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas.

Capello said: “It would be a tough decision between Ronaldo and Torres and to these two players I would add another player who has had a fantastic season even though he is tired now and that is Fabregas.”

While commenting on who he feels has the best chance of clinching Euro 2008, Capello said: “The team that has got the better players on paper is Spain.

“But I would narrow it down to four teams. France - a very good team, very solid players. Germany, who are never among the favourites but are always there when it matters and Italy. I think they are close as well.” {source}