Eusébio confident of Ronaldo pedigree

'The best'
The 66-year-old, widely regarded as Portugal's best ever player, is aware his compatriot could be remembered as one of his generation's greatest footballers. "When we talk about Cristiano Ronaldo, I always say that he has everything it takes to become the best player in the world," said Eusébio, who presented Ronaldo with the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year award in Monaco last month. "The best player officially is Kaká who was given the [2007 FIFA World Player of the Year] award by FIFA. However, I believe today that Cristiano is the best without any doubt."

Troubled summer
Ronaldo recorded a massive haul of 42 goals in all competitions last season as United won the Premier League title and became European champions, despite the 23-year-old seeing his penalty saved in the UEFA Champions League final shoot-out against Chelsea FC in Moscow. The summer was not an easy one for the Portuguese international as continuous speculation about a possible move to Real Madrid CF coincided with a period on the sidelines following ankle surgery. Despite the turmoil and last term's stunning achievements, Eusébio believes Ronaldo – a substitute in United's goalless Group E draw against Villarreal CF on Matchday 1 – has the talent to raise the bar still higher.

'A long way'
"I always believed that he would stay in Manchester," said Eusébio, adding: "Depending on his condition and whether his head is in the right place, I think he can get better, because with every year that passes he will gain experience and he'll know how to improve on the pitch. He must not forget that he will have to work a lot in terms of pace and ball control, and he is actually good in this respect. Therefore, the advice I always give him is that he needs to keep forging ahead in a straight line. Then he'll definitely go a long way."