Cristiano Ronaldo has referred to Sir Alex Ferguson as his ‘football father’ on several occasions in the past.

The Portuguese superstar still has an excellent relationship with the managerial legend following their six-year stint working together at Manchester United.

Ferguson brought Ronaldo to England from Sporting Lisbon in 2003 and helped mould him into the prolific forward that he would eventually become.

The Scot also allowed Ronaldo to realise his dream of playing for Real Madrid, despite the fact he would have preferred to have done business with just about any other club on the planet.

“Do you think I would get into a contract with that mob. Jesus Christ, no chance,” Ferguson famously said in December 2008, six months before Ronaldo’s eventual move to the Bernabeu. “I wouldn’t sell them a virus.”

In private, Fergie had given Ronaldo his word in the summer of 2008: give me one more season and you can move to Madrid.

Ronaldo has always been hugely appreciated to Ferguson as a result - and they’ve always warmly embraced whenever they’ve seen each other since.

In interviews, meanwhile, both men speak in glowing terms about each other.

And on Monday, Ferguson sent a lovely video message to Ronaldo after the Juventus forward won the Portuguese Player of the Year award for a record 10th time.

Watch it here...

"Congratulations on a great achievement and a wonderful night you're going to have in Portugal,” Ferguson says in the video.

"I'm really sorry I can't be with you, but I look back and see you as a young lad at 17 years of age who came to Manchester United, how you have progressed as a human being and a fantastic sportsman.

"I want to say to you, and your mother, and all your family, and all of your kids; well done.

You have been an absolute pleasure for me to have known, to have worked with, and to have seen you progress into the footballer you were.

"So, good luck, have a great night, and well done."

A message from one legend to another.

Beautiful words from Ferguson and it’s great to see the 77-year-old looking so well.

For United fans, meanwhile, it’s another reminder of what used to be.