Departing Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo has had a parting pot shot at the English Premier League.

The Portuguese winger, who has joined Real Madrid, believes he will be playing in a better league when he competes in Spain's La Liga.

"The Premier League is a very good competition, but the Spanish league is going to have a little more quality because of the players who are arriving," he said.

"Both leagues are going to be very good, but, with the club president Florentino Perez's signings, the Spanish league is superior to the English.

"It's going to be a magnificent competition in Spain this year. All the players have a lot of quality and the referees protect the players more."