Cristiano Ronaldo thanks Roy Keane and Rio Ferdinand for their support

Cristiano Ronaldo has thanked former teammates and pundits who have supported him in recent times, including Rio Ferdinand and Roy Keane.

Ronaldo has been embroiled in significant drama over the past week after the airing of his bombshell interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV.

Within the highly controversial interview, Ronaldo slammed the current state of the club, along with heavily criticising United manager Erik ten Hag and former teammates including Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney.

He has faced heavy criticism from several former teammates and pundits like Rooney and Neville for his behaviour over recent months, but he has retained support from others including Ferdinand and Keane.

And in the first part of the interview with Morgan that was released on Wednesday, Ronaldo thanked the former United duo.

'It means a lot because I was in a dressing room with them, they are part of my journey in football as well,' he said.

'As I mentioned many times, Roy Keane for me was my best captain ever. Rio Ferdinand helped me a lot, he was my neighbour, I was his neighbour.

'So very, very good guys, not just because they speak good about me but they were there in the dressing room, they are football players, they know how players think and how they behave.

'And to listen to ex-colleagues and team-mates criticise you and only see one point of view...  I feel a bit betrayed.  It's not good to listen too and a little bit disappointing.

'It's easy to criticise if you have a job on television because you must criticise to be more famous.

Sportsmail had previously reported how Ronaldo hit out at Neville and Rooney in the interview after snippets from the sit-down with Morgan were released earlier this week.

This includes Ronaldo claiming the former Manchester United defender is only criticising him to boost his own profile.

Ronaldo, who recently blanked his former team-mate Neville pitchside at Old Trafford as a result of the Sky pundit's supposed criticism of him, lambasted him within the interview.

He said: 'To listen as ex-colleagues or team-mates criticise you, when they only see one point of view. It's easy.

'It's easy to criticise, I don't know if you have a job in television that they must criticise to be more famous. I really don't understand it.

'I think they take advantage of that because they are not stupid. I'm the No 1 followed guy in the world. It's not by coincidence.'

'It's hard when you see people who was in the dressing room with you criticising that way.'

Ronaldo has also previously said in similar clips released that he has no intention of holding clear-the-air talks with either Neville or Rooney - and hinted that his former strike partner was just jealous of him.

'Me too (I'm surprised about this criticism). Piers, I don't understand. You should ask the questions to him. I don't know. I don't know why he criticised me so badly.

'I don't know if he's jealous of me.

'It was one year ago or six months ago here in my house that he picked up his kids and invited Cristiano [Jr] to go to his house to play football.

'I really don't understand people like that or if they want to be on the front cover of the news or they want a new job or whatever.

'Probably (it's jealously). Probably - because he finished his career in his 30s. I'm still playing at a high level; I'm not going to say that I'm looking better than him, which is true.

'12 months ago he was here picking up his kids. I really don't understand people like that.

'It's hard to listen to that sort of criticism and negativity from people who play with you, for example Gary Neville as well.

'People can have their own opinion but they don't know what is going inside the training ground at Carrington - or even my life.

'They have to listen to my point of view as well. Because it's easy to criticise, but if you don't know the whole story, it's easy.

'They are not my friends, they are colleagues. We played together, they're not coming, we're not ever having dinner together for example.'

'But it's part of my journey. They keep criticising my every time, so I continue my trip and I have to catch up with the people who like me.

Sportsmail also reported on Tuesday that Rooney is understood to be bemused by Ronaldo's comments, but will not be publicly commenting on the matter, according to Sky Sports News.

They said: 'Wayne Rooney we understand here at Sky Sports is bemused at the criticism levelled at him by Cristiano Ronaldo following that interview with Piers Morgan.

'Rooney has decided he is going to make no public statement on the matter but it is understood that England's all-time leading goalscorer has always maintained that Ronaldo is one of the two best in the world alongside Lionel Messi of course.

'But he feels that Ronaldo needs to accept he is in the latter stages of his career but being at a club the size of Manchester United means respecting the situation and not expecting to play every minute of every game.

'We at Sky Sports are told that Rooney feels no animosity towards Ronaldo.'

Rooney recently claimed Ronaldo's actions have been 'unacceptable' at times, and has accused him of being an unwelcome 'distraction' for the club.

His recent criticism is not the first time he has questioned Ronaldo's return to United.

He also urged the Red Devils to sell the Portuguese star in the summer after he told the club he wanted to leave, but Ronaldo failed to get a move away in the end.

Rooney and Ronaldo have a lengthy history, dating back to 2004 when Rooney arrived at Old Trafford a year after Ronaldo had moved to the English giants.

The pair were involved in an infamous incident at the 2006 World Cup when Rooney was sent off for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho.

As Rooney left the pitch, Ronaldo was caught winking on camera, appearing to confirm that he'd played a role in ensuring the England striker was given his marching orders.

Upon returning to United the following season, the duo put their differences aside and struck up a deadly partnership, leading the club to three consecutive league titles, plus the Champions League in 2008.

However, it seems their relationship has now hit a new low, with Ronaldo not taking too kindly to Rooney questioning his behaviour.