F365 Opinion

"When Alexander of Macedonia was 33, he cried salt tears because there were no more worlds to conquer. Eric Bristow is only 27."

So what does Sid Waddell make of Cristiano Ronaldo? The Portuguese is English, European and world champion as a club footballer, and player of the year across the three levels, too. And he is only 23.

What does he do next, after turning 24 on 5 February? He could take up darts, I suppose, and there is unfinished business with Portugal - no even-numbered year is complete without seeing him in tears. But in the context of club football there is a legitimate question to ask, whether to continue to be the best Ronaldo needs to find fresh challenges.

Manchester United are justifiably favourites to retain their Premier League crown, which would make it a hat-trick of successes. Jose Mourinho's presence at Old Trafford on Sunday was a reminder of the challenges to come in the effort to retain the Champions League. But should United succeed on both fronts - and even gain the FA Cup they felt should not have been denied them by Portsmouth's quarter-final win last season - then the question becomes stronger: what would there be left for him to achieve at Old Trafford?

There is the "Why would he go anywhere else?" argument, but that applies far less to a foreign player than a Briton or a local. Even as he picks up his FIFA crown, journalists are pointing out that his performances this season - like those of a number of stars - do not match those of 2007-08.

At Christmas Paul Wilson of the Observer was casting around for someone to vote for in the Football Writers' Association poll; Matt Dickinson of the Times was echoing him this morning. That's a strange state of affairs when the best player in the world is in our midst.

There is time for Ronaldo to make a case, but he has looked short of inspiration, by his own brilliant standards this season. Despite the enormously high regard in which he holds himself - puzzled why, after he missed what could have been the decisive penalty in the Champions League final, no one wanted to talk about his goal - I'm sure that even Ronaldo has noticed.

He has achieved so much, so young, after coming from such a humble background. I'm not sure he knows his own mind, fully, as to where he sees his future: headlines that say he has decided to stay at Old Trafford strike me as especially meaningless, because he is understandably capable of changing his mind the next day.

If United conquer all, then where is the fresh impetus? If they fall short, then shouldn't he move elsewhere, to a team on the up?

It's a dilemma for the player, and creates one for his manager. Sir Alex Ferguson must wrestle with how to keep his player comfortable but outside the comfort zone.

For anyone who would like to read about anything else in the sports pages, I have one more depressing thought to add. Ronaldo seems to like being the centre of attention. As long as his future is uncertain, then he is in the headlines. As long as his future is uncertain, then people at United - and at Real Madrid - will be falling over themselves to make him feel like the most important person on earth.

All I can do to help is leave you with a mid-January resolution: not to write about Cristiano Ronaldo's future again at least until he is in contract negotiations somewhere.

Philip Cornwall