Cristiano Ronaldo praises ‘best captain ever' Roy Keane as latest slice of interview is released

The Portuguese hit out at Rooney and Neville for their criticisms of him but only had positive things to say about another pair of Red Devils legends – Keane and Rio Ferdinand, who have given him support over the past year.

He said: “It means a lot because they… I was in the dressing room with them. They are part of my journey in football as well.

“As I mentioned many times, Roy Keane for me was my best captain ever.

“Rio Ferdinand helped me a lot. He was my neighbour, I was his neighbour. So very, very good guys.

“Not just because they speak good about me, but they were there in the dressing room.

“They are football players. They know how players think and behave, etc.”

Ronaldo has joined up with the Portugal squad for the World Cup but appeared to be on the receiving end of a frosty reception from Manchester United team-mate Bruno Fernandes in the wake of his bombshell interview.

The 37-year-old's interview has been teased since Sunday, just hours after United's final Premier League game against Fulham, ahead of being broadcast in full across Wednesday and Thursday.

Ronaldo will not see most of his United team-mates for at least another five weeks, if ever again, though will be in close quarters with Fernandes, and Diogo Dalot, in Qatar, and TV cameras picked up what appeared to be an awkward exchange between the pair.