Written by:
Kushal Dev Sharma
Cristiano Ronaldo a Portugal born footballer began playing football when he was quite young. In fact, his first stint with competitive football started when he was merely eight
years old. His first amateur club was Andorinha. Very soon, he was signed by a local team named CD Nacional, when he was just ten years old. Then, Ronaldo moved to Portugal and secured a place in one of the biggest football clubs in Portugal – the Sporting Lisbon.
Ronaldo’s association with Sporting Lisbon club provided him the nurturing environment, where he honed his skills like a dedicated learner. In his debut match against Moreirense, Ronaldo scored two vital goals, which not only brought the victory for his team, but also impressed the selectors.
After a glorious time with Sporting Lisbon, Ronaldo’s destiny took a gigantic leap. Consequently, it came as a turning point in Ronaldo’s career, when he was spotted by Sir Alex Ferguson, manager of Manchester United in 2003. In fact, he impressed Sir Alex Ferguson during a match between Sporting and Manchester United in which Sporting went on to beat United.
Ronaldo’s powerful performance impressed Sir Alex Ferguson so much that he decided to take this talented kid into his team. Consequently, all went well for Ronaldo when he was chosen as a suitable replacement for David Beckham. Finally, Sir Alex got this talented player in his team with a substantial fee of £12.24 million. Ronaldo played his first English Premier League match against Bolton Wanderers. Moreover, he also wore the number seven jersey, which was adorned by the likes of George Best, David Beckham and Eric Cantona.
For his fantastic play, Ronaldo was awarded with the FIFA Pro Special Young Player of the Year award in 2005. Ronaldo continued to prove his mettle by scoring consistently and gradually he became the star player of the Manchester United club, which is one of the most reputed football clubs in the world. Moreover, he again grabbed the same award in 2006.
The biggest moment
On March 19, 2008, Ronaldo scored his 33rd goal for the Manchester United and registered his name in the pages of history. He broke the long standing 40 year old
record of most goals scored in a season by a midfielder. The great George Best did it in 1967-68 by scoring 32 goals. Ronaldo surpassed the legend when he scored his 33rd goal against Bolton Wanderers at Manchester United’s home ground Old Trafford.
Since his arrival on the English soil, Ronaldo has grown from strength to strength. In fact, he is already acclaimed as one of the most influential players in Manchester United’s entire history.
Over the years, this talented footballer has matured enough to take up any challenge against any team. Like other great footballers, Ronaldo’s every move is deeply scrutinized by the media. Many a times, he became the main target of rumours. Once it was said that he was planning to leave Manchester United and have already signed a deal with Real Madrid. To put the rumour mills on rest for a while, Ronaldo himself claimed that he has already signed a new contract of five years with Manchester United.
Awards achieved
PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2007
PFA Young Player of the Year: 2007
Barclays’ Player of the Season: 2006-07
Football Writers' Association Award: 2007
Portuguese Sports Personality: 2006
Portuguese Footballer of the Year: 2007
Manchester United Players' Player of the Year: 2006-07
FIFPro World XI: 2006-07
FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year: 2005, and 2006
Besides these achievements, this new force in the world of football has a lot more to offer in the years to come.