Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has described Cristiano Ronaldo as the "most gifted player" that he coached during his career.

The Portuguese winger was signed by Ferguson from Sporting Lisbon in 2003 before the Scot sold him to Real Madrid six years later for a record £80m fee.

"Cristiano was the most gifted player I managed," he wrote in his new autobiography. "He surpassed all the other great ones I coached at United - and I had many.

"We helped Ronaldo to be the player he was and he helped us recapture the excitement and self-expression of Manchester United teams."

Ferguson called time on his career at the end of last season after a glittering 39 years in management.