I asked Ronaldo to score 40 goals, so he did!

IN his first few seasons at Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo was a precocious talent who needed direction.

- RENE MEULENSTEEN

United's coaching staff knew he was special, but also that he had to be honed and polished until the flawless diamond could sparkle.

When Rene Meulensteen became first-team coach in 2007, he knew where Ronaldo was headed and he recalls a conversation between the pair that shaped the future, taking the Portuguese starlet from good to great to elite.

Meulensteen said: "One of Sir Alex Ferguson's mantras was to say that if we were no more than five or six points behind the league leaders at the end of January - if we weren't on top - we were in a good position.

"From that point he'd pick a more consistent XI in the league to develop continuity.

"He spoke of the importance of our individual talent and how that would win games - but it was a team effort that would win us trophies.

"That individual talent was clear in the form of Ronaldo. By the end of February, he had already scored 30 goals in all competitions.

"I know exactly what you want, I remember saying to him in one of our sessions.

"Oh yeah?' he replied.