Ronaldo Gets Ballon D'or

Cristiano Ronaldo picked up his most prestigious award yet as he took home the world famous Ballon D'or - the European Footballer of the Year Award!

He was in Paris for the full 3 hour show alongside Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who gave Ronaldo a standing ovation when the time came.

Ronaldo was grateful to Ferguson, and all his team-mates.

"I've been playing for Manchester for five years - I feel at home," said the 23-year-old Ronaldo. "I'm happy at Manchester and want to stay."

"I'm an ambitious person. I don't want it to stop here," said Ronaldo reflecting on his success. "I think we have to keep trying to win trophies, collectively and individually. I'm on the right track.

"It's always special to reach this level, the important thing is to stay there. The idea is to keep progressing, collectively and individually as well. Without my team I couldn't have won it, and I have to thank them also."

Sir alex had kind words for him, and said it was good for Manchester United to have such an accomplished player - the first United player to win the Award since George Best some years back!

"It's a long time since we won one, 40 years ago," said Ferguson. "Of course, he's only 23. He's only just beginning. When players get to 26 they start to mature."

Ronny deserves it

Some people may be thinking the Ballon d'Or is just another award for Cristiano Ronaldo, the latest in a long line of trophies recognising his astonishing achievements last season.

In the last seven months, he's been named PFA Player of the Year, Football Writers' Player of the Year and FIFPro World Player of the Year. But this one caps the lot. Ronny appears to be genuinely thrilled to win this, the most prestigious individual honour in world football.

I'm delighted for him. It would have been ludicrous if he had been pipped to the award by Lionel Messi or Fernando Torres, both of whom enjoyed successful seasons but were not as consistently devastating as Ronaldo.

And let's not forget that in being heralded as the world's greatest player by 77 out of the 96 journalists on the voting panel for the France Football magazine gong, Ronaldo joins a very distinguished list indeed.

The last three United winners were George Best (1968), Bobby Charlton (1965) and Denis Law (1964). After scoring a phenomenal 42 goals in the 2007/08 Double triumph, perhaps Ronaldo has already assured he will be mentioned in the same breath as that trio in years to come.

But one way for him to guarantee that is to ignore overtures from the continent, stay at this great club and continue to torment opposition defences for many more seasons.

"This is one that I want to win again because it is so good," Ronaldo said after scooping the award. "Therefore, I will wake and I will say to myself 'I want to be even better'." Let's hope he fulfills that ambition in a United shirt.