Last updated 11:44, Wednesday, 16 July 2008

MAYBE it was the beaming smile but when Cristano Ronaldo posed for the cameras after signing a five-year deal at Manchester United last summer he looked nothing short of thrilled.

Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring a penalty during the FA Cup quarter-final replay at Old Trafford, Manchester. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Monday March 19, 2007. Photo credit should read: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.

It was hardly surprising given his £120,000-a-week pay packet.

Does anyone recall hearing him complaining about slave labour back then?

Yet only 12 months on, he’s whingeing about being shackled to Manchester United and endorsing FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s comments comparing his situation to modern-day slavery.

Save your sympathy for this greedy prima donna, who has resorted to scraping the bottom of the barrel to find a convenient excuse for not wanting to honour his contract.

Ronaldo, left, is no slave. He is pampered, spoilt and rich beyond belief because he’s paid an outlandish amount of money for doing a job many young men would willingly do for a mere fraction of his salary.

He has simply got bored after helping Manchester United win the Premiership title and the Champions League, and now wants to wriggle out of his contract because he fancies a move to Real Madrid. There is no doubt that Ronaldo is gifted, that he lights up the Premiership and made a brilliant contribution to Manchester United’s outstanding season.

But remember how his club stood by him after his disgraceful winking antics while playing for Portugal against England? Not to mention lurid tabloid allegations against him.

You’d have thought he could at least have the decency to honour the contract he signed, but gratitude and loyalty are not values associated with grab-all footballers like Ronaldo.