Cristiano Ronaldo is a fighter and has real character, says former Man United teammate

Cristiano Ronaldo is considered by many as one of the best players in world football. The Juventus star is a recipient of five Ballon d'Ors and even at the age of 34 remains one of the top attackers in world football. Cristiano Ronaldo's former teammate at Manchester United and one of Ronaldo's good friends from his time in England, Ricardo, opened up on their relationship and why he thought the Sporting CP product was destined for greatness.

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Bleacher Report recently published an interview of the former Spanish goalkeeper where he discussed what it was like playing with Cristiano Ronaldo in his early days. Cristiano Ronaldo joined Manchester United from Sporting CP in 2003 and spent six years in Manchester before moving to Real Madrid. 

Ricardo, who played just one league match for Manchester United revealed that during the early days, he was good friends with Cristiano Ronaldo. They were part of the Spanish-speaking contingent at the club alongside Diego Forlan and Quinton Fortune. While Ricardo failed to make an impact at Man United, he admired Ronaldo for his instant impact at Old Trafford. 

As quoted by Bleacher Report, Ricardo said, "But even when he was that young, you could see he had a very strong personality. He was a fighter. He had real character—he was so independent-minded and always trying to improve himself."

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Ricardo went on to laud the Portuguese attacker for his dedication and desire to be the best player in the world. The former Atletico Madrid goalkeeper said Ronaldo loved to train and was very focused. "Despite being young, Ronaldo was usually not fazed by anything," said Ricardo.

"He had such a gift for dominating the ball. He had this natural-born talent, this wonderful technique. You could see it. He could do things with the ball that would blow your mind," Ricardo on Cristiano Ronaldo

After an uneventful spell at Man United, Ricardo left the club for a stint in Spain. He retired from football in 2013. Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, continues to perform at the top level even today. Ronaldo, along with his rival Lionel Messi have dominated football for more than a decade and share 11 Ballon d'Ors between them. 

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Cristiano Ronaldo net worth, Cristiano Ronaldo records 

Cristiano Ronaldo's spell with Man United paved the way for success with Real Madrid in LaLiga. After winning four Champions Leagues and two LaLiga titles, Ronaldo left Madrid in 2018 to join Serie A giants Juventus. He won the league title in his debut season but is yet to end Juventus' wait for a Champions League medal. With 129 goals to his name, Cristiano Ronaldo is also the highest goalscorer in the Champions League. Wealthy Gorilla estimates the Cristiano Ronaldo net worth to be around $460 Million in 2020. 

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