Evasive Ronaldo refuses to rule out a transfer to Spain

That sparked mass celebrations among a side who, had it not been for a 1-0 FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Portsmouth, could have emulated United's Treble-winning heroes of 1999.

"Nights like this are what you play football for," said an ecstatic Ferdinand. "Who would have thought that, when you were kids playing football on your estates, you would have an opportunity to play in and win a game like this. It's the stuff of dreams and we're lucky to be living that dream now.

"The manager's talk before the game was brilliant. He said this is the time you have to go out and try to become champions. The manager is the heartbeat of the club. We have to mirror his expectancy.

"The big regret, though, was that we didn't win the Treble, especially the way we lost in the FA Cup.

"But I suppose you can't have it all. We should have sewn the final up in the first half. Petr Cech made two superb saves. Then they hit us with a sucker punch and in the second half I suppose we rode our luck a bit."

Ferdinand admitted the pressure of playing in his first Champions League Final had got to him.

"I tried to sleep in the afternoon," said the England centre-half. "Normally I do, but this time I only got about 20 minutes and that tells you how big a game this is."

Ferdinand collected the trophy with Ryan Giggs, who played his 759th game for the club last night to break Sir Bobby Charlton's United appearance record.

"Ryan is Mr Manchester United," Ferdinand said. "The incredible thing is he came on and made an impact. He could have scored if John Terry hadn't headed off the line. He's not appreciated as much as he should be.

"To play that many games is unbelievable but that many for one club is unheard of."

Giggs, meanwhile, predicted a new era of European supremacy for United as he clutched a second Champions League winners' medal.

And the 34-year-old, victor in 1999, reckoned he would still be around for a little while to help make sure United's young breed don't take another nine years to rule Europe again.

"This team has got the potential, the players, and the experience of what it takes to win in Europe to do it again," said Giggs. "We've got everything in our favour. We've got to look to the future. And I want more nights like this."