Cristiano Ronaldo will be back at Manchester United one day according to Nemanja Vidic

Cristiano Ronaldo will be back at Manchester United one day according to Nemanja Vidic

Ronaldo makes his first return to Old Trafford on Tuesday as his Real Madrid side meet United in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

And Vidic, who played alongside the Portuguese before his record £80million move to the Bernabeu in 2009, is optimistic they might be United team-mates once again even if Sir Alex Ferguson dismissed the prospect as a "false hope" at the weekend.

"It would be a big ask for many reasons. I would love to see Cristiano here. I could see it," he told the Sun.

"He is a United supporter. Even though he left he still follows United and still misses the club and the environment here."

Vidic rates Ronaldo higher than Barcelona's Lionel Messi so reckons United would be able to boast the world's best player.

The Serbian defender, 31, said: "They are both great players but, in recent years, Barcelona have won more trophies and I think that is why people have put Ronaldo to one side.

"The way he plays, he can play in England, he can shoot with his left, his right, he can jump and head the ball. He can dribble, he can do everything.

"I don't say Messi cannot do that but the way Barcelona play suits his style.

"Ronaldo has been changing games for the last four years for Madrid.

"Every time he walks on the pitch he wants to score. He has that hunger in every game."

Ready

Vidic is looking forward to facing Real after being ruled out of the first leg.

"I had never played in the Bernabeu and I have to say I was sad because everybody wanted to play in that game," said Vidic.

"But the manager had to manage the games and the players and he chose to go with that team and it went well. I had played against Everton four days before, so I knew then that I wasn't going to play against Real.

"I was available, but after so long out of the game, two games in four games was a lot for me and the manager chose to go with the other guys. But I am fit now, I can play two games in four days and I want to play because, if we beat Real, we have a great chance of winning the European Cup."

The Serb admits that the Real game does have a major bearing on their season.

"It is important to be focused because, in two or three games, you can screw your whole year," Vidic said.

"This week we have Real Madrid and Chelsea, in the Champions League and FA Cup, so this is what I am saying.

"It looks a great season now, but it is only a great season when it is finished and we have the trophies. I have been here for seven years and people have always spoken about 1999 and the Treble team.

"We of course want to do it, but I don't think we should be pressured by that. It would be great to win it again, but it is a big ask, a difficult ask. We are still in three competitions, but the end of the season will show where we are and how good we are as a club. It is now important to show our class and our mentality.

"We have to be focused and sharp, sharp in the mind, and not think about whether we might get AC Milan or Barcelona in the next round of the Champions League.

"Three trophies? We can do it, but everything has to be the right way."