In an interview with 'Goal', Ferdinand said "I don't think he really wants to play as a number nine because he can be tied down there and he can be left a little bit isolated."
"He likes being able to come from the wide areas where he gets a little bit of space and that's where he can do his magic" Ferdinand continued.
Though the former England defender did admit that Ronaldo's style has changed over the course of his career, explaining that "he used to stand out wide and want to get the ball and take people on. He's not that player any more."
Ferdinand ended the interview with some high praise for his former team-mate: "He wants to get the ball in area where he can hurt teams and have end product, which is goals or assists, and at the moment there's no bette rman on the planet doing that."
Ronaldo continues to be linked with a move away from Real Madrid this summer, but any talk of a move is on hold as he is currently away on international duty with Portugal at the Confederations Cup.