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Ronaldo has been involved in several interesting transfer moves that have seen him play in England, Spain, Italy and now Saudi Arabia.
Manchester United got him from Sporting CP in 2003 for €19 million and he went on to spend six unforgettable years at Old Trafford.
The three-time Premier League winners left United to join Real Madrid ahead of the 2009–10 season for a world record transfer fee at the time of €94 million.
In the following nine years, Ronaldo won two La Liga titles and four Champions League honours and was named the Ballon d’Or winner four times to add to the one he scooped at United.
In 2018, Ronaldo signed for Juventus after the Italian giants paid €117 million to secure his services.
With Juventus, Ronaldo claimed two Serie A titles and the Coppa Italia before he made a sensational return to Manchester United in 2021.
Ronaldo’s celebrated return to Old Trafford, however, turned sour quickly and in November 2022 he parted ways with the English club.
The Portuguese superstar left Europe for the Middle East for the first time after he joined Saudi Arabian giants Al Nassr, where he won the Arab Club Champions Cup last year.
In all of these, though, Ronaldo claims leaving his family in their small home in Funchal, Madeira to join Sporting Lisbon’s youth academy at age 11 remains the toughest part of his football journey.
Ronaldo is not sure he would allow his eldest teen son to leave home and take the next step forward as he charts his own football career.
“I moved, at the age of 11, from Madeira to Lisbon, which is difficult, to be honest,” Ronaldo said, as per Noticiasaominuto.
“It was probably the most difficult professional part of my career. It was difficult to leave my family in Madeira to pursue my dream, in Lisbon, at 11 years old.
“Now, I see my eldest son, Cristiano… I don’t know if I would be able to let him go, with two more years than I had.”
Now aged 39 and after spending two decades scoring a record number of goals and winning dozens of titles, Ronaldo reveals the secret of his longevity and excellence.
“Talent without work is nothing, and work without talent is nothing. nothing. I think they both mix,” he said.
“Of course I have both. I wouldn’t say I have one more than the other, because, looking at my entire career, over the last 20 years, my level has been high.
“As you know, this is very difficult, not just in football, but in everything. Being at the top for 20 years is unbelievable, and that’s what I continue to do. For me, it’s a great achievement. My biggest motivation is to continue to enjoying, making people happy, making my family happy.
Ronaldo continued: “It’s not easy to be at this level, to keep fighting and motivating myself to keep scoring goals, to be in good shape, to compete with the young lions that arrive… When they play against me, they want to show me that they are stronger and faster than me. You have to prepare yourself very well, not just physically, but also mentally.
“But it’s a challenge, because if you treat your body well, you can maintain it for many, many years. This is the big challenge, for me, and it’s great. I’m proud of that, that, at this age, continue to compete at the highest level. It’s great and gives me motivation to continue,” he concluded.
Source:
Noticiasaominuto
