It has been revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo almost quit football prior to his £12 million move to Manchester United in 2003.
Back then, Ronaldo was a teenage star for Sporting Lisbon and according to reports, the Portuguese wanted to quit football after being ‘bullied’.
The struggles faced by Ronaldo during his time in Lisbon were revealed in a book titled ‘Messi vs Ronaldo: One Rivalry, Two GOATs, and the Era That Remade the World’s Game’.
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According to The Sun, the book stated that Ronaldo was contemplating calling him on his career behind it even got going. He was planning to quit during his time as an academy player with Sporting.
The book also revealed that Ronaldo was mocked for his Madeiran accent by the other boys and was crying every day because he was missing his family and friends.
At a young age, Ronaldo often failed to control his emotions and as a result, was involved in multiple bust-ups with other boys.
It has been said that Ronaldo once threw a chair at one of his teachers after they mocked him over the way he spoke.
Eventually, Ronaldo was allowed to quit school and focus on his football. He was later rewarded by being called up to Sporting’s first team.
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The five-time Ballon d’Or winner previously spoke about his school years. He said: “I always felt that I wasn't cut out for school. So what was the point?”
During his time with Sporting, Ronaldo was believed to be unhappy that he wasn’t allowed to use the gym whenever he wanted.
The club had strict policies when it came to ‘children using the gym’
Club academy executive Aurelio Pereira said: “We never put children in gyms. That is one of the secrets behind our players' long careers. It's important to let them grow naturally.”
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Ronaldo would sneak out during the night in order to lift weights, however, he was then punished with detention after his nighttime adventures were found out. This led to the club locking the gym doors with a padlock in a bid to prevent the player from trying again.
However, Ronaldo was not to be stopped, from lifting buckets of water to strapping weights to his ankles, he tried everything in a bid to become stronger.
Sporting fitness coach Carlos Bruno once said: “He always wanted more. Most players, when the training goes on too long, they say, 'Hey, coach, too much water kills the plant, you know?' Cristiano was a guy who always wanted more water in the plant.”
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United, Sporting Lisbon, Portugal