Cristiano Ronaldo has said his former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has an extremely compassionate side to his personality.
Real Madrid star Ronaldo played under Ferguson from 2003 to 2009 and has regularly praised the Scot's management.
Speaking in an upcoming BBC documentary entitled "Sir Alex Ferguson: Secrets of Success," Ronaldo said that he had shown great understanding before his father's death in 2005.
"When my dad was sick in London and was in hospital -- very bad, in a coma -- I had a conversation with [Ferguson]," Ronaldo said. "I said, 'Boss, I don't feel good.'
"We are in a key moment in the league and the Champions League, but I say, 'Boss, I don't feel good. I want to see my dad.'
"[He said] 'Cristiano, you want to go one day, two days, one week, you can go. I'm going to miss you here because you know you are important, but your dad [comes] first.'
"When he told me that, I thought, 'This guy's unbelievable.'"
The Portuguese forward said that it was that sort of family atmosphere that Ferguson created that helped United achieve results on the field.
"He invites everyone to come for lunch, come for tea... an English cup of tea!" he said. "It was a family with him. He was a football father for me."