When Cristiano Ronaldo earned his first Portugal cap as an 18-year-old in 2003, few would have realistically expected it to be the beginning of a two-decade international career that would see records smashed and individual accolades thrown his way.
When Ronaldo was first called up to the Portugal squad, he joined a dressing room containing established stars such as Luis Figo, Deco and Maniche, with the latter helping the youngster settle in.
And it wouldn’t take the former Porto and Atlético Madrid man long to realise that Ronaldo was not likely to be overawed by the world-class players surrounding him.
Maniche on Ronaldo’s early days with Portugal
“Deco and I were the first to welcome him into the squad and protected him back then, because he was very young, barely 18,” Maniche tells FourFourTwo.
“He was very playful – despite his youth, he liked teasing the other players because he was competitive. Cristiano wasn’t intimidated by team-mates with more status like Luis Figo, Fernando Couto or Pauleta. He had a strong personality, too – very few players in history have had his kind of mentality.
Ronaldo’s determination to succeed and still burns to this day was evident in these early training sessions.
“He was the first to enter the dressing room and the last to leave training,” Maniche continues. “We would look at him, thinking, ‘How is it possible that this kid is so mentally focused, always wanting more?’
“The manager, Luiz Felipe Scolari, often had to stop him, because the next day he’d be exhausted, but he wanted to train for two or three extra hours.”
For Maniche, it is this mentality that seperated Ronaldo from his peers.
“To reach 40 and still be playing, you have to be incredibly professional and deeply respect everything that you do – nothing comes from luck,” he continues. “He’s an example for young players – you can’t think only about money, you have to do many things right to reach the top.
“He could have ended his career at 29 or 30, because even back then he had enormous financial stability, but he loves competing, pushing himself, being the star. He loves being the best in the world, and he loves being talked about. It’s part of his personality.”
Ronaldo turned 41 earlier this year, but shows no sign of wanting to hang up his boots yet. So when will the end finally come?
“Cristiano will retire when he reaches 1,000 goals, and he will do it, without any doubt,” his old Euro 2004 pal Maniche says. “If he does that and also plays alongside his son, it will be the perfect ending to his story.”
