Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes has hailed Portugal teammate Cristiano Ronaldo as the "best player in the world".
Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been locked in a 12-year battle to be recognised as the best player on the planet, with Messi winning six Ballons d'Or in that time to Ronaldo's five.
However, Fernandes is in no doubt that his compatriot Ronaldo takes top spot for him and admitted that having a player of such calibre recognise his progress means a lot.
"When you go to the national team and bump into the best player in the world it leaves a mark on you," Fernandes told Canal 11.
"The first time I arrived I had the opportunity to talk to him. He even came to me and said 'So, are you doing well at Sporting? You have scored a few goals'. It was Ronaldo who came alongside me and said I was doing well.
"The words he said were meaningless emotionally, but just the fact that a player like him is aware that I'm doing, you do think 'how is this possible?' Of course he was at Sporting, the club that made him and for which he has an affection."
Fernandes has widely been credited with sparking an improvement in United's form since joining the club in January, directly contributing to seven goals from his nine appearances so far.
Barney Corkhill
