SHANGHAI, CHINA - JULY 30: Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid looks on during the International Champions Cup match between Real Madrid and AC Milan at Shanghai Stadium on July 30, 2015 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
Cristiano Ronaldo admits he never truly believed he would become a professional footballer when he first began to play the game as a child. The Real Madrid and Portugal sensation began to train with Andorinha on his home island of Madeira in his youth, but says he never considered himself a special talent.
"In my family, we all love football. I remember that one day I was playing in the street and my father told me: 'Why don't you train at the club when I go to work?'. I said yes, why not? So I started to play," Ronaldo told Herbalife. "I went to train every day and I enjoyed being part of the team. My father was always there for me. At first I felt I was different to the other children. I never thought I was going to become a professional or go to Manchester United, Real Madrid or Sporting.
He added: "At that time I just wanted to enjoy it and it wasn't going through my head that I had talent. At first I didn't think that. However, the former Old Trafford ace admits it took just a few short years of training before he began to visualize a career at the very top. After three or four years I started to think: 'I want to play there'. I got to watch all of the matches and I dreamed of wearing the shirts."
Ronaldo and Madrid face Tottenham in their latest preseason outing in the Audi Cup in Munich on Tuesday.
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