Ronaldo: A Special Night

Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo admitted it was a special night after hitting the winner at former club Sporting Lisbon.

"It's a perfect night for me. I scored and the team won. So it's been a great night for me and United," he told Sky Sports at the final whistle.

"It's always important to win away from home. Both teams played well, but I think the result is a fair one because we did better.

"Red is my colour and I want to win for United. I said before the game that Sporting Lisbon is my second home and I feel a little bit sad [that they lost], but the most important thing is United. They are my team and I'm very happy with the victory."

Some sections of the home fans rose to applaud Ronaldo's goal, before the whole stadium gave him a standing ovation when he was substituted in the final few minutes. It was a gesture which delighted the 22-year-old winger.

"The people here are very important to me," he insisted. "They helped me a lot when I played here.

"When I scored I didn't want to do too much because I don't think it's fair. But I'm very happy with the three points."