Cristiano Ronaldo Biography
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born on the 5th of February 1985 in Funchal, the capital city of the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira. He was named Ronaldo after former US president Ronald Reagan, who was the favourite actor of his father Dinis Aveiro. He is a footballer who currently plays for Premiership giants Manchester United. Cristiano has a brother named Hugo and two sisters, Katia and Elma.
Ronaldo officially joined Andorinha, a boys club in Madeira, at the age of 8. His father was the kitman at the club, and the young Ronaldo impressed one and all during his tenure at the club. At the age of 10, he was the subject of interest from Nacional and Maritimo, the two biggest clubs in Madeira. As fate would have it, he joined Nacional, the smaller of the two, and captained the club to victory in the U-12 regional youth championship. A year later, at the age of 11, Cristiano left Madeira to pursue his dreams at Sporting Lisbon. He joined their Alcochete academy, which has given Portugal many of its prodigal sons - Hugo Viana, Luis Figo, Luis Boa Morte and Simao to name a few.
Life wasn't easy in Lisbon for Ronaldo, who was teased for his Madeira accent by fellow youngsters at the academy. He fought through the difficult times, and a resilient, determined, mentally focussed person emerged. He made his Sporting debut at the age of 17 and scored two goals in a 3-0 win over Moreirense. One of those goals gave observers a hint of the man he was to become - Making a run from the centre of the park, he took the ball past three players and sent the ball into the back of the net. Ronaldo played 25 games for Sporting, most of them as a substitute, as coach Laszlo Boloni chose to use him sparingly. He played at the European U-17 Championships in 2002. Portugal finished third in their group behind eventual winners Switzerland and third placed England.
Ronaldo's big break came on the 6th of August 2003, when Sporting played Manchester United in an inauguration match for the Estadio Jose Alvalade. Sporting won 3-1, and United's players were very impressed by Ronaldo's abilities, and urged Ferguson to seriously think of bringing him to Old Trafford. The departure of David Beckham to Real Madrid had opened a spot in right midfield, and Ferguson decided that the lad would be groomed to take over that position. United splashed out 12.24 million pounds for the youngster, and the British press went gaga over the new signing. He was handed the no.7 jersey, a sign of the responsibility he was expected to shoulder. At Old Trafford, George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona and David Beckham have had that number assigned to them in the past.
Ronaldo made his Premiership debut as a second half substitute against Bolton Wanderers, coming on for Nicky Butt. He received a huge ovation from the crowd when he stepped on to the pitch. His international debut was made against Kazakhstan, also in August 2003. In his initial days, sceptics said that he wouldn't be able to survive in the demanding conditions of the Premiership. He was criticised by some people for being too fancy and trying out too many step overs. Cristiano has also been accused of diving. He has however matured into an excellent player over the years, and has now become a pivotal part of the United first 11.
Ronaldo is a winger who can operate on both flanks. He can also play as a forward. He is an excellent dribbler of the ball, and his passing and crossing skills are way more than average. He possesses electric pace and his unpredictable step overs make him a difficult man for defenders to handle. He has excellent feet, and is a natural with the football. Focus, determination and a will to win come to him automatically, and it is a combination of all these that make him such a precocious talent. He has also improved on his freekicks, and scores regularly from dead ball situations.
Euro 2004 went well for Portugal and Ronaldo, with the hosts reaching the final before losing to Greece. The following year, in October 2005, he scored Manchester United's 1000th Premiership goal. He was also named 2005 Fifpro special player of the year, an award he was again to win the next year. At the World Cup, England crashed out at the hands of Portugal in the quarterfinals. Wayne Rooney got sent off, and Ronaldo's wink to his manager Scolari led many Englishmen to believe that he had a role in getting Rooney off the pitch. Portugal eventually went out in the semifinals to France, but Ronaldo's future at Old Trafford was in doubt. There were rumours of him moving to Spain, with Real Madrid expressing interest. But he stayed, and his ability to deliver on a consistent basis has made him a hero with the fans. He has had a role in everything good that has happened to United in recent times. He has the uncanny ability of scoring goals when they are needed the most. All signs of a legend in the making; and the man is only 23.
He became only the third player in Premiership history to win back to back 'Player of the month' awards in January 2007. He captained his national side for the first time in a friendly against Brazil in February 2007. His form in the 06/07 season saw him bag both the PFA player of the year and young player of the year awards. The last man to achieve that feat was Andy Gray, for Aston Villa in 1977. He was also named PFA Fans player of the year, ahead of Matt Murray and Billy Sharp. Ronaldo was also named 2007 Portuguese footballer of the year, an award his former teammate at Sporting Lisbon, Ricardo Quaresma had been winning for the last two years. He finished second to Kaka in voting for the 2007 European Footballer of the Year. In April 2007, Ronaldo signed a new five year contract. The deal ensures that he earns £120,000 a week, making him the highest paid player in United history.
Ronaldo was in sparkling form during the 2007-08 season, scoring an amazing 42 goals in all competitions. The 42 was just four short of the United record of 46, set by Denis Law during the 1963-64 season. He won the 2007-08 European Golden Shoe, thus becoming the first winger to bag the prestigious award. In March 2008, he captained Manchester United for the first time against Bolton Wanderers, and scored both the goals as United ran out 2-0 winners. One of the goals was a swerving freekick, described as '' a bit of genius'' by Trotters boss Gary Megson. Manchester United won the Champions League by beating Chelsea on penalties, with Ronaldo also scoring in the final. Ronaldo also finished as the top scorer in the 2007-08 Champions League with eight goals. He was given the 2007-08 UEFA Club Footballer of the Year award.
In qualifying for Euro 2008, Ronaldo scored 8 goals for Portugal. Luis Felipe Scolari's men were knocked out at the quarterfinal stage by eventual runners up Germany. At the end of the 2007-08 season, Real Madrid were again very strongly linked with a move for Ronaldo, but he eventually ended all speculation himself by saying that he would stay at Old Trafford for another year. Recently local rivals Manchester City, who have been taken over by a wealthy group from the Middle East, have been linked with an audacious £135 million bid for him. In the very unlikely event that it goes through, it will be both the mother and father of all football transfers !!!
If you thought that the list of honours is pretty large, let me assure you that this is just the beginning. Cristiano Ronaldo is immensely talented, very young and has immense potential to become one of the greatest players ever to grace the football pitch. From humble origins in Madeira to the pitch at Old Trafford, Cristiano Ronaldo has come a long way. Watch out for the lad the next time you switch on the TV!