ALEX FERGUSON is tipping Cristiano Ronaldo to join the ranks of Eric Cantona and the Old Trafford gods.
Some of French legend Cantona’s most memorable Manchester United moments were in FA Cup finals.
He hit two penalties in the 1994 4-0 triumph over Chelsea and the 1-0 winner against Liverpool two years later.
Today, 19-year-old Ronaldo will take his fledgling Cup final steps against Millwall at the Millennium Stadium.
And boss Fergie is confident that by always letting the Portuguese youngster show off his skills, eventually his impact will be as great as that of King Cantona.
He said: “Ronaldo is only 19 and he is sensational.
“Manchester United have always known how to make room for exceptional talents. Remember Bobby Charlton and George Best.
“I have learned, too, you always have to let the players express themselves. For a manager, a player like Ryan Giggs for example is a gift from heaven. It is the same thing with Eric Cantona.
“He would never have become the great player he was if I had not encouraged him to develop his talent.
“I think we were the perfect club for him. A club where he could puff out his chest and say ‘I’m the boss here, I’m the king’. He has that aura, that presence, that faith in himself.
“Same thing again with little Ronaldo. Never stop him dribbling past his opponents, because it’s just that which makes him the player you want.
“A manager always has to be able to adapt what he says to each type of player. He’ll say to some ‘Play it simple, you are never better than when you strip your game down’.
“Then there are others who can raise their game to a new level, one I can’t conceive as I don’t have their vision and because they see things that I, as their manager, cannot see.
“Ronaldo will be one of those players, I’m sure. Just like Cantona before him.”
Fergie is already looking beyond the FA Cup final to renew his assaults on the Premiership and Champions League — and the likes of Ronaldo will be his spearhead.
He explained: “The future of the club is constantly on my mind.
“I always try to make sure the rebuilding process keeps evolving. That is why we bought a lot of young players last summer.
“Some have come out of it well, others have not yet asserted themselves — and I do say ‘not yet’.
“Take Kleberson. He got married, his wife is 17, they have a baby, he has a shoulder injury that stops him playing for six months and then another injury that keeps him out for two more months.
“So it would be unfair to make a judgment on him. What I do know is this lad won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002, that he has marvellous technique and will soon be OK.
“Now take Eric Djemba-Djemba. His mother was in a coma, they had to bring her from Cameroon to France, then he had to join Cameroon for qualifying matches for the Olympics and the African Nations Cup.
“We didn’t see him for four months. But he is only 23 and is going to make more progress.
“Besides that, there have been successes like Ronaldo. Tim Howard, our keeper, is another. So I say we are armed for the future.
“Ferdinand is 24, Brown 24, O’Shea 22, Fletcher 19, Ronaldo 19, Bellion 21, Kleberson 24 and Djemba-Djemba 23.
"That’s eight players under 25 who, in three or four years when they have come on together, will form the nucleus of a good team.”
Finishing third in the Premiership behind Arsene Wenger’s champion Gunners and Chelsea has hit Ferguson hard.
He added: “This is the first time in 13 years we have not been in the race for the title. Thirteen years, do you realise?
"But, of course, this season that’s it. I’ve had heart problems, I’m done for, finished. I’m an old man. So next season I’ll be . . . a genius. No, you must get things in perspective.
“The Ferdinand business killed us. We were four points clear in the table and Rio Ferdinand and Mikael Silvestre were on the way to becoming our best pair of central defenders since Bruce and Pallister.
“They were fantastic. Then, on January 17, it was all over.”
For all the frustrations, Fergie insists he has no plans to quit — despite a United managerial career already stretching back 18 years.
He said: “If I have survived such a long time, it’s because I manage to isolate myself at times and not let myself be submerged by events.
“Though I keep wanting to control everything at the club, I have understood as years go by that I have to be able to delegate, too.
“At 62, I can no longer run all over the place and do the lot by myself. I have a first-rate staff that does its job very well and I make sure it works right.
“At the moment, I am devoting myself to making sure everything is in place for us to win the FA Cup.
“But a manager is a man alone at times — and being alone suits me just as well.”
Some of French legend Cantona’s most memorable Manchester United moments were in FA Cup finals.
He hit two penalties in the 1994 4-0 triumph over Chelsea and the 1-0 winner against Liverpool two years later.
Today, 19-year-old Ronaldo will take his fledgling Cup final steps against Millwall at the Millennium Stadium.
And boss Fergie is confident that by always letting the Portuguese youngster show off his skills, eventually his impact will be as great as that of King Cantona.
He said: “Ronaldo is only 19 and he is sensational.
“Manchester United have always known how to make room for exceptional talents. Remember Bobby Charlton and George Best.
“I have learned, too, you always have to let the players express themselves. For a manager, a player like Ryan Giggs for example is a gift from heaven. It is the same thing with Eric Cantona.
“He would never have become the great player he was if I had not encouraged him to develop his talent.
“I think we were the perfect club for him. A club where he could puff out his chest and say ‘I’m the boss here, I’m the king’. He has that aura, that presence, that faith in himself.
“Same thing again with little Ronaldo. Never stop him dribbling past his opponents, because it’s just that which makes him the player you want.
“A manager always has to be able to adapt what he says to each type of player. He’ll say to some ‘Play it simple, you are never better than when you strip your game down’.
“Then there are others who can raise their game to a new level, one I can’t conceive as I don’t have their vision and because they see things that I, as their manager, cannot see.
“Ronaldo will be one of those players, I’m sure. Just like Cantona before him.”
Fergie is already looking beyond the FA Cup final to renew his assaults on the Premiership and Champions League — and the likes of Ronaldo will be his spearhead.
He explained: “The future of the club is constantly on my mind.
“I always try to make sure the rebuilding process keeps evolving. That is why we bought a lot of young players last summer.
“Some have come out of it well, others have not yet asserted themselves — and I do say ‘not yet’.
“Take Kleberson. He got married, his wife is 17, they have a baby, he has a shoulder injury that stops him playing for six months and then another injury that keeps him out for two more months.
“So it would be unfair to make a judgment on him. What I do know is this lad won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002, that he has marvellous technique and will soon be OK.
“Now take Eric Djemba-Djemba. His mother was in a coma, they had to bring her from Cameroon to France, then he had to join Cameroon for qualifying matches for the Olympics and the African Nations Cup.
“We didn’t see him for four months. But he is only 23 and is going to make more progress.
“Besides that, there have been successes like Ronaldo. Tim Howard, our keeper, is another. So I say we are armed for the future.
“Ferdinand is 24, Brown 24, O’Shea 22, Fletcher 19, Ronaldo 19, Bellion 21, Kleberson 24 and Djemba-Djemba 23.
"That’s eight players under 25 who, in three or four years when they have come on together, will form the nucleus of a good team.”
Finishing third in the Premiership behind Arsene Wenger’s champion Gunners and Chelsea has hit Ferguson hard.
He added: “This is the first time in 13 years we have not been in the race for the title. Thirteen years, do you realise?
"But, of course, this season that’s it. I’ve had heart problems, I’m done for, finished. I’m an old man. So next season I’ll be . . . a genius. No, you must get things in perspective.
“The Ferdinand business killed us. We were four points clear in the table and Rio Ferdinand and Mikael Silvestre were on the way to becoming our best pair of central defenders since Bruce and Pallister.
“They were fantastic. Then, on January 17, it was all over.”
For all the frustrations, Fergie insists he has no plans to quit — despite a United managerial career already stretching back 18 years.
He said: “If I have survived such a long time, it’s because I manage to isolate myself at times and not let myself be submerged by events.
“Though I keep wanting to control everything at the club, I have understood as years go by that I have to be able to delegate, too.
“At 62, I can no longer run all over the place and do the lot by myself. I have a first-rate staff that does its job very well and I make sure it works right.
“At the moment, I am devoting myself to making sure everything is in place for us to win the FA Cup.
“But a manager is a man alone at times — and being alone suits me just as well.”
