Seven facts about Cristiano Ronaldo
By Christopher Davies
Last Updated: 7:35am BST 03/04/2008
1 Ronaldo was nicknamed "cry-baby" as a child. His mother DoloresAveiro said: "When he got home from school I'd tell him to do homeworkbut he'd say he didn't have any. I'd be making dinner and he would jumpout of the window and run off until late. He used to cry when he passedand his friends didn't score. People called him 'cry-baby' and 'littlebee' because nobody could catch him.
2 He was an amazing player even at 11 years old. Paulo Cardoso, hisfirst coach at Sporting Lisbon, said: "When he got the ball he wentpast two or three players. At the end of the game the players gatheredaround him, they knew he was a special kid."
3 Jose Mourinho likened Ronaldo to Marco van Basten, the former Hollandstriker. Mourinho said: "I remember the first time I saw him play. Itwas for Sporting youth. I told my assistant, 'There goes Van Basten'sson.' He had great technique. He stood out."
4 As a teenager Ronaldo would train in the gym using weights on eitherfoot and then dribbling with the ball. He thought it would improve histechnique because without weights he would be even faster.
5 Liverpool decided Ronaldo wasn't good enough a year before he signedfor United for £12.2 m from Sporting in 2003. After the winger playedagainst United in a friendly Sir Alex Ferguson said: "At half-time Iknew I had to sign this boy. He was sensational."
6 There is only one Cristiano Ronaldo but there are two Ronaldos. Ascoach of Brazil, Luiz Felipe Scolari, who worked with the otherRonaldo, said: "I hoped Cristiano would be as good one day. He justdoesn't stop, no matter how much you demand of him."
7 Ferguson had no hesitation in handing Ronaldo the No 7 shirt. Hesaid: "We've had some fantastic No 7s, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona,David Beckham, some wouldn't want that jersey but his confidence washigh even at 18. When he made his debut as substitute against Bolton hetook the place by storm." |