Featured Image Credit: Twitter
Topics: Sporting CP, Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Football, Premier League, Primeira Liga, Cristiano Ronaldo
Rory O'Callaghan
Topics: Sporting CP, Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Football, Premier League, Primeira Liga, Cristiano Ronaldo
Footage of Cristiano Ronaldo's first ever senior goal for boyhood club Sporting Lisbon has resurfaced on social media.
Ronaldo, 37, is one of the most prolific forwards in the history of football, having scored 699 club goals while playing for Sporting, Real Madrid, Juventus and current club Manchester United.
He is also the leading scorer in men's international football, having bagged 117 goals for Portugal.
It all started back in 2002, when Ronaldo was handed his senior debut for Sporting in a friendly against Spanish side Real Betis.
The Portuguese superstar, who was only 17 at the time, made an immediate impression with a superb individual goal.
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Racing clear of a defender, Ronaldo managed to round the onrushing goalkeeper before directing a perfectly placed shot into the goal – lobbing another opposing player in the process.
Ronaldo was so unknown at the time that the commentators mistakenly referred to him as Custudio, another of Sporting's players.
In September of that year, Ronaldo would make his competitive senior debut for Sporting against Braga in the Primeira Liga - aged just 17 years, seven months, and 25 days.
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He would go on to score his first competitive goal for the club the following month, bagging a brace against Moreirense in a 3-0 win for Sporting.
A year later, Ronaldo would move to Manchester United in a £12.2m deal, with then Red Devils manager Sir Alex Ferguson describing him as "one of the most exciting young players" he had ever seen.
Now into his second spell at United, Ronaldo has found goals much harder to come by this season.
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He has scored just once, a penalty against Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol in the Europa League.
Ronaldo has had to make do with a bit-part role under new manager Erik ten Hag, after handing in a transfer request and missing the majority of pre-season.
He will no doubt be hoping to add to his goals tally when United return to action after the international break against rivals Manchester City at the Etihad on Sunday.