Ronaldo
Ronaldo
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, commonly known as Ronaldo, is a retired Brazilian professional footballer who played as a striker. Popularly dubbed "the phenomenon", he is widely considered to be one of the greatest football players of all time. A three-time FIFA World Player of the Year and two-time Ballon d'Or recipient, Ronaldo was named in the FIFA 100, a list of the greatest living players compiled in 2004, and was inducted into the Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame...
ProfessionSoccer Player
Date of Birth18 September 1976
CityRio De Janeiro, Brazil
I want to be remembered as part of the group of the greatest players ever.
But I don't want to be compared to anyone like to impose my own style of play and do the best for myself and for the club here.
Scoring goals is a great feeling, but the most important thing to me is that the team is successful - it doesn't matter who scores the goals as long as we're winning.
There is no harm in dreaming of becoming the world's best player. It is all about trying to be the best. I will keep working hard to achieve it but it is within my capabilities.
He's a gift from heaven, he is truly a gift from heaven. Whatever he touches turns to gold.
He is as tough as anything. You can crack him once, but he won't let it bother him. He's back on his feet in no time and getting on with it. He is a strong character and a great sight when he's heading for goal.
After we played Sporting last week, the lads in the dressing room talked about him constantly, and on the plane back from the game they urged me to sign him. That's how highly they rated him.
I feel bad only when I play badly. Fortunately, that happens rarely.
I don't like being alone.
When you see someone like him coming on, with his great pace and desire to take someone on, it is a boost.
Of course I miss playing for Manchester United. I played there for six years and that’s a long time. I am still interested in watching Manchester United and, you never know, maybe in the future I could return to play there. It’s always possible. I want to fulfil my contract here but, in the future, only God knows. I will not say I am not happy here at Real Madrid. I am really happy and everyone knows this is my club but, of course, I miss Manchester United, the boss, the players, because I left family there.
When Ronaldo gave that little wink everyone interpreted it that he had got his team-mate sent off. You felt then that he would become a much criticised figure. But that's not really what happened. So for him to overcome all of that and emerge as one of the players of the season is quite a remarkable achievement. He is a phenomenal talent. He has tremendous pace, he goes past players and he has added the ability to shoot. He can also pick out team-mates. There is not a lot he cannot do now. I believe his game has improved immeasurably over the past couple of seasons.
Ronaldo can do whatever he wants as a footballer. There are some things he does with the ball that make me touch my head and wonder how he did it.
For me, he is an exceptional player.