"It is true that before returning to Manchester after the World Cup I said in an interview that I might leave. But then I realised this was a club that had given me a lot of support, where I had won a lot of things, and I analysed the situation once again.
"I spoke to my agent and to Sir Alex Ferguson and I took a calm decision and decided to stay.
"Whether I will be here for another two, three, five, 10 years, or until the end of my career, I don't know.
"But what I want to do is leave my mark on the club as the first Portuguese who played there. I want the fans to remember me with affection, to say I was one of the club's great players, and I also want to leave the door open for others to go there to play one day."
"I really think it was the best decision to stay, but when we are hot-headed sometimes we say things we don't mean.
"What's important is that things turned out well. I am at Manchester and I feel very good. This is one of the biggest clubs in the world.
"I have been here since I was 18 years old. I have felt, and I still feel, very happy about that. I hope things will continue to carry one in the same way for me, or even better. There's one thing I'm sure of - Manchester is the ideal club for me."