C. Ronaldo savours challenge after passing Real Madrid medical

Cristiano Ronaldo says he is not fazed by the huge expectations which will surround him at Real Madrid and has spoken of his excitement at the prospect of playing in the same team as Kaka and Raúl, The Guardian reported.

The Portuguese forward is set to complete a £80m move from Manchester United to the Bernabéu this month and believes he will be able to swiftly adapt to the demands of a fresh league and the new challenge which he sought after six years at Old Trafford. "I've done all the [medical] tests, all is well, everything perfect," he said. "This will be a challenge, but my career has always been made up of challenges. The expectations for me are great, but I am used to it.

"Real Madrid is a club that is accustomed to winning, just like Manchester United. It will be good playing with Kaka, a great player who was the best in the world, but not only with him – also with Raúl, Guti and [Iker] Casillas.

"The beginning will be complicated. I was six years in Manchester and there the football is more physical, faster. Anyway, I think when we are good, we adapt ourselves to any kind of football. I expect to adapt quickly."

Ronaldo's reference to Brazil's key midfielder Kaka having been usurped as the world's finest player seemed to be a reminder that the Portuguese currently holds the official Fifa title. He also indicated that Sir Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager, and other senior figures at the club had allowed him to move without bitterness.

"I have already said in interviews Real Madrid has always been a club where I wanted to play. But I want to clarify that the fans and the people of Manchester United understood my decision," he said. "It was a mutual agreement, so I'm very happy. It is going to be a very big challenge for me. I still do not know what [shirt] number I will use."

Ronaldo's comments, made while finishing his holiday in the Algarve, are the first he has made since his move to Madrid was agreed this month, his management company having issued a statement yesterday which stated that previous comments attributed to him were "devoid of truth and authenticity".

The 24-year-old is unsure when his world-record transfer will be completed, however. United and Madrid agreed that the deal would be done by 30 June.

"At this point I would rest, if you allow me," Ronaldo said. "Things are not all completed. I would like get there and get a good pre-season; I am anxious. I still do not know when I will be presented.

"Although I don't have a house in Madrid, I will have time to look. I am learning Spanish, but now it is time to relax, be with family, so I can start on the right foot and give my best."