Five years after his arrival from Sporting Lisbon as a raw teenager, Ronaldo has been confirmed as the best player on the planet.

Although a host of awards are expected to come his way over the next few months, the FIFPro prize is particularly significant because it is the first to recognise his extraordinary achievements last season when he scored 42 goals in Manchester United's charge to Premier League and Champions League glory.

Voted for by players from over 40 countries, it emphasises the widespread appeal of Ronaldo's extraordinary rise and sees him follow in the footsteps of past winners Ronaldinho and Kaka.

Ronaldo has already had enough faith in his ability to believe he could become world number one. But he accepts in his early days he spent too much time playing to the gallery and not enough on making sure United benefited from his rare talent.

"I have always played the way I do. It is natural," he said.

"If you want to be good, you have to practice, not just in training but games as well. That is my style of football.

"But I am different now compared to five years ago. Then I was dribbling but not doing anything for the team.

"Now I have more experience and I feel more mature. I do things for the team. So, sometimes I dribble, sometimes I don't."

Few would argue against his current status but with the adulation comes attention and scrutiny.

It seems every move Ronaldo makes is analysed and dissected to establish whether the 23-year-old is still hankering after a move to Real Madrid.

The latest evidence being put forward that he wants to live in Spain came in a non-celebration of his goal against Celtic in the Champions League last week.

"People are always writing things about me. It is up to them," he said.

"If I smile it is because I smile. If don't it is because I don't. All I want to do is play well and do my best."

Ronaldo now feels the Real Madrid saga is not worth discussing. However, he is happy to confirm Sir Alex Ferguson as the major factor behind his decision to stay and a continuing influence on his career.

"Sir Alex has been a big inspiration to me," he said.

"He believed in me enough to buy me. I have learned so many things from him and I am continuing to learn because he is a great manager.

"Of course, he was the main factor in keeping me here.

"But what happened in the summer is finished. Now my head is on the club. My focus is solely on playing well for Manchester United and winning the Premier League and Champions League again."

Ronaldo accepts emulating last term's incredible achievements will be tough, both for him individually but for United collectively.

Even halfway through the campaign, he was not thinking about the possibility he could win the Golden Boot. It was only when he continued to hear his name linked with the famous trophy that the Madeira-born star truly began to recognise what he was on the brink of.

"I only started to believe it when I scored 22 or 23," he said. "Before that it didn't even cross my mind because I am not a forward. My job is not to score, so to end up at 42 was incredible.

"It is important I recognise my team-mates because without them, it would not have been possible for me to get so many.

"But I have always been an ambitious player. I try to improve every season, not because I have to prove myself to anyone, just because I want to be the best I can be.

"I am still young and if I am being honest, I did not think I would reach this level so quickly.

"But I always believed in my talent and I have learned a lot, so it made me think that maybe I would become the best player in the world."