Alastair Campbell, a friend to former Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has released a new book detailing how a feud between Ruud van Nistelrooy and Cristiano Ronaldo, led to the Dutchman leaving the club in 2006.

Campbell has published a new batch of diaries, that were recorded between 2005 and 2007.

He confirmed the long-rumoured story, that Van Nistelrooy insulted Ronaldo, referencing his then-recently deceased father.

“The United manager was not sure what was going to happen with Ruud van Nistelrooy.

“Very self-centred. The last straw was when he told Cristiano Ronaldo he had found a new dad in [assistant coach] Carlos [Queiroz} – just after Ronaldo’s dad, who was an alcoholic, had died.

“Carlos asked him to show respect and he said he didn’t respect anyone there.

“He later apologised but CR was not having it.

“Alex sent van Nistelrooy home when he heard about it later. He was not sure what he was going to do with him,” an extract from the book read.

Van Nistelrooy left for Real Madrid in July 2006, where he played until joining Hamburg in 2010.