Cristiano Ronaldo's determination and self-obsession is why he's become one of the world's best, according to a former Manchester United teammate.
Mads Timm was a young prospect at United in the 2000's and trained with Ronaldo for three years after he joined from Sporting Lisbon in 2003.
The Dane has offered an insight into Ronaldo's early years and despite being mocked by his peers, the Portuguese international wasn't scared to be himself.
"He was quite extraordinary as a footballer, and as a person," Timm explains in his book Red Devil per The Sun.
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"Like me, he was bullied when he came to the club. With his hair - which he soon got clipped - and with his almost acrobatic attempt to impress the coaches.
"He could stand and do 10-15 step overs before he tried to dribble past the opponent."
Timm then names two senior United players who weren't afraid to lay into Ronaldo, one of who is current United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
"Pass now, just pass, dammit,' shouted Gary Neville and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer constantly to him when we had reserve team matches together.
"The special thing about Cristiano Ronaldo was that he immediately took the fight against the hierarchy. And he won it.
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"He was completely indifferent to the rest of his teammates. He gave no room for others. It was me, me, me. Cristiano Ronaldo. CR7."
Ronaldo's six year stint at Old Trafford helped him become one of the world's best players, before leaving for Real Madrid in a then-world record £80 million transfer in 2009.
He's a five time Ballon d'Or winner and will likely go down as one of the greatest of all time.
Despite this, Timms hints that it's the 35-year-old's mentality rather than his ability that's allowed him to soar to unprecedented heights.
"He's not the best player I have played with, but he is the most focused person I have ever met," the current Kerteminde Boldklub forward explained.
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"Mentally he reminded me of myself at age 12, and he does really still.
"I do not think he sees himself from the outside, and I do not think he's going to sit and laugh at himself. I think that's why he survived in the professional football world."
Timm admitted the environment at United didn't suit him, but the current Juventus forward wasn't fazed at all.
"He was just the opposite; he was moving forward, clear-headed and with an indomitable faith in himself," Timm said.
"It was also reflected on the pitch. We performed an internal training match where I played on the left wing, while he was right wing for the other team.
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"Every time we met on the field, he wiped me, and I have rarely been so out of breath after a test. He pulled all the air out of me."
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Featured Image Credit: PA ImagesTopics: Football News, Football, Manchester United, Juventus, Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid