Olympic legend Usain Bolt revealed he thanked Sir Alex Ferguson personally for helping bring Cristiano Ronaldo back to Old Trafford this summer.
The retired Jamaican sprinter is a lifelong United fan and was a special guest at Wednesday's Champions League clash against Villarreal where he caught a glimpse of fellow superstar Ronaldo.
Ex-United boss Ferguson was also in the stands for the fixture, having been involved in securing Ronaldo's return from Juventus just a month ago.
He spoke with his former player ahead of the deadline day transfer, which has given the whole of the club a huge lift.
And Ferguson caught up with Bolt inside the stadium, where the eight-time Olympic gold medalist showed his appreciation.
According to the MEN, Bolt said of Ronaldo: "He helped to build the club and it was wonderful when he was here, the energy. So I'm happy he's back."
He continued: "I just saw Alex Ferguson inside and I thanked him for bringing Cristiano back, so I'm happy about it.
"I'm happy to be here, I haven't been back to Old Trafford in a while, so I'm just happy to be here in the stands with everybody to watch the game."
Ronaldo's return has so far been a success, with the Portuguese forward grabbing four goals already in his second spell at the club.
Upon re-signing, the 36-year-old ended his message to the club's fans with a poignant remark: "Sir Alex, this one's for you."
Ronaldo also reflected on Ferguson's huge role in him signing for United in the first place back in 2003.
“As everybody knows, since I signed for Manchester [United] at 18, Sir Alex Ferguson was the key,” he told the club’s official website.
“I remember when we played against Manchester when I was at Sporting Lisbon. For me, Sir Alex Ferguson is like a father in football for me.
“He helped me a lot, he taught me many things, and in my opinion of course he had a big role because the relationship that we had, we keep in touch all the time, and he’s an unbelievable person.
“I really like him a lot and he was the main key for me to be in the position that I am, that I signed for Manchester United.”
Ferguson too has spoken out on his role in the transfer - after Ronaldo had been linked with rivals Manchester City.
“A lot of people played their part (in bringing Ronaldo back) and I contributed knowing that really Cristiano wanted to come here and that was important," Ferguson told Viaplay .
“It worked very well. I wouldn’t say it’s emotional but it’s exciting for me and relief because I couldn’t imagine him playing for Man City, I don’t think anyone could.
“That’s why we took steps to make sure he came here and the club then followed in very well and I spoke to the Glazers and it was done."
Ronaldo's involvement in the clash with Villarreal saw him break the record for the most appearances in the Champions League by a single player - beating former Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas' tally to rack up 178 games.
