While his mother was a cook, his dad was a gardener, and it is he who introduced Cristiano Ronaldo to football as a young boy. The island of Madeira was one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Portugal at the time, but Ronaldo found solace in football as he joined Andorinha’s youth team due to the influence of his father.
Speaking to Mirror Football, Fernao Barros Sousa, who was a player for Andorinha at the time, revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo was a special talent but remained grounded despite his outrageous ability.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s formative years
Sousa revealed that Ronaldo had something different from the other kids at the academy, as he put studies in the back seat to concentrate on becoming a professional footballer.
Ronaldo rose through the ranks rapidly and signed for Sporting CP as a 12-year-old in 1997 before Manchester United came calling for him in 2003. However, he was reportedly bullied by his teammates at Sporting, to which he famous reply has gone down in the history books.
In the years that followed, Cristiano Ronaldo’s rise to the top was nothing short of phenomenal, as the Portuguese superstar burst onto the scene with Manchester United.
With three Premier League titles and UEFA Champions League crown to his name, Ronaldo joined Real Madrid in 2009 in a world-record deal at the time, as he went on to cement his status as an all-time great at the Santiago Bernabeu.
In the summer of 2018, Ronaldo made it clear that he wanted a new challenge and secured a move to Juventus in the Serie A, where he continues to bang in the goals at the age of 35.
With a staggering five Ballon d’Or awards to his name and numerous other accolades for club and country, Cristiano Ronaldo has more than just vindicated his doubters and shut his bullies up in some style. Talk about being a man of your words, eh?
0 votes
