Jose Veiga was this week facing up to a possible confrontation with Cristiano Ronaldo – before getting down to the business of making himself Macclesfield’s first-choice keeper.

Veiga was a member of the Cape Verde Islands squad which earned a 0-0 draw in their pre-World Cup friendly with Portugal in Covilha on Monday.

The 33-year-old Macc keeper has 11 full international caps to his name, but was an unused substitute as Fredson Fock played the full 90 minutes of a game which left the Real Madrid star and his team-mates frustrated.

But Veiga also has long-term aims at club level as he’s hoping to nail down a regular place in Macclesfield Town’s first team following the departure of Jon Brain, who was released after stalling over a new contract.

Brain, one of Macc’s star performers over the last nine months, was named the club’s Players’ Player of the Season but has decided to try his luck elsewhere after four years at the Moss Rose.

And that means Veiga, who made six appearances for the Silkmen during the season just completed, has a chance to make the keeper’s jersey his own.

Macc boss Gary Simpson said: "Next season will definitely be a good opportunity for Jose.

"With Jon Brain leaving, we’ve only got one keeper, so we will have to bring somebody in.

"I’m open minded as to whether we get a youngster as a back-up to Jose or someone more experienced.

"But I know a lot of the players here really, really rate Jose. They think he’s a very good keeper.

"And every time he’s played for the first team, he’s done exceptionally well."

Lisbon-born Veiga began his career in Portugal, and also had a stint in Spain with Levante and Real Valladolid before arriving in England in 2006.

He had spells with Tamworth and Hereford before Keith Alexander brought him to the Moss Rose last summer on a one-year deal.

The keeper did enough to persuade Simpson to offer him another 12-month contract, which he signed last week.

Simpson added: "I never had any question about extending Jose’s stay. He’s got what we want in terms of ability, and he also falls within what we can afford.

"We have to think about who we might bring in as a keeper. For what we offered Jon Brain, we might be able to bring two keepers in.

"Without meaning to be rude to Jon, we made him a good offer."

Even though Brain has decided to move on, Simpson wishes him well – along with Lee Bell, who has also exited the Moss Rose after declining a new deal.

The Macc boss said: "If we hadn’t released them, they could have sat on those offers for well over a month.

"And then if somebody had become available, we wouldn’t have been able to use that money.

"I know they had spoken to other clubs. I know they had written to other clubs.

"We need people who want to come to Macc. Our supporters deserve people who want to play for us.

"I thought that what we did was for the best.

"But I genuinely don’t mind anybody trying to better themselves, and it may well be that they are able to earn more further afield."