Alvaro Fernandez lifts lid on how Cristiano Ronaldo treated young Manchester United players

Manchester United youngster Alvaro Fernandez has insisted that Cristiano Ronaldo was a massive help to the younger players at Old Trafford prior to his departure from the club.

The 19-year-old defender is spending the season on loan with Championship outfit Preston North End, with the Spaniard having made 30 appearances in all competitions for Ryan Lowe's side. Fernandez, who has registered four assists this term, has impressed since moving out on loan.

Fernandez is yet to feature for United's first-team, but he is highly regarded at Old Trafford and had attracted interest from Premier League and Championship clubs last summer. However, the Lilywhites won the race for his signature due to their development plan for the youngster.

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The Spaniard, who was not included in United's pre-season tour squad in the summer, has since opened up on the impact Ronaldo had on the younger players at the club. The Portuguese attacker left the club in November following his controversial interview with Piers Morgan, but Fernandez was still full of praise for the 38-year-old.

Asked about how Ronaldo was with players at the club, he told AS: "Very well with him, he is very nice. With young people he is very top, very close. On top of the fact that he spoke Spanish, he knew that he had been in Madrid. They had already told him about me."

Discussing when he began training with the first-team, Fernandez added: "At Christmas I started with the first team and I was with them until the end of the season, when I was called up for a game. The first day was incredible, it was also the time when Cristiano had just returned."

Ronaldo has scored eight goals and