Inside the mind of Cristiano Ronaldo!

'He loves us, he loves us not. He loves us, he loves us not...'

If you are a 'hardcore' Manchester United fan, then the last few weeks may well have been torture, which hardly provokes the sort of emotion you should be experiencing at the end of a remarkable season which culminated in a famous double. Romantic poets may refer to this as 'transience' but any layperson would simply say, 'It is Cristiano Ronaldo.'

Doesn't one have the right to call the Portuguese winger a traitor, an ungrateful headline seeker, a glory hunter... (you get the hint!)? After all, he was little more than a precocious talent when the wily Scot, Sir Alex Ferguson, spotted his abilities, supposedly overpaid for him and brought him to Old Trafford.

A few seasons on, you could be forgiven for supposing that this guy would go on to surpass Sir Bobby Charlton as a United legend. Prolific in front of goal, as charismatic as they come and Sir Alex's talisman; he was, and still is, a sure shot for the 'World Player of the Year' title.

However, all this gets thrown out of the back door when he apparently confirms that he wants to wear a Real Madrid shirt. Surely he isn't the first Portuguese player to have dreamt of walking into the Santiago Bernabeu?

So, where is the problem? I'll tell you:

Ronny isn't going anywhere this season. One day,he will play against Manchester United for Real, with the Madrid supporters behind him, but that night isn't snapping at our, or his, heels just yet.

Most news channels, newspapers and websites revel in sensationalising tidbits. And that fact should not be forgotten easily. Very often, a reply of  "yes" is deemed 'headline' or 'breaking news' material.

It is true that he doesn't want to meet Sir Alex now, but that should have been obvious—for a proud and confident Portuguese national superstar, anything which could prove to be a distraction during Euro 2008 must be a strict no-no. And a visit from his United boss at this tricky period could be exactly that, bearing in mind Fergie's current state of mind.

I admit that Ronaldo might be confused at this point in time, but in all likelihood he will be training hard with Messrs Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand on, say, August 20th.

However, one mustn't forget that Real might be a temptation to a young boy (can he be called that any longer?) who dreamt of a Madrid lifestyle while toiling away with only a football to take his mind off a drunken father, who was unable to make ends meet at home.

Despite this, when Ronaldo, a mature, sensible and ambitious footballer, begins to weigh up the odds instead of the Euros, he will come to realise that he is much better off playing for the current European Champions, under Sir Alex's watchful eye, than at a place full of uncertainties like Real Madrid.

Till then, the rumour mills will be in overdrive. Or maybe the action during Euro 2008 might just take centre-stage.

And that may not be such a bad thing after all!