Cristiano Ronaldo on Sir Alex Ferguson's compassionate side Use accessible player and disable flyout menus Cristiano Ronaldo recalls the time that his then-Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson granted him compassionate leave during a key part of the season to visit his sick father. The Portuguese forward, who scored 117 goals for the Red Devils between 2003 and 2009 before moving to Real Madrid , describes his old boss as "unbelievable" and says that he was his "father of football". Watch Sir Alex Ferguson: Secrets of Success, Sunday 11 October, 22:30 BST on