Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United debut will attract an audience of millions next Saturday - but his own mother might not be among those tuning in.
The 36-year-old is now back in England following his Deadline Day move to United, a club he first became a legend at in the mid-late 2000s.
After a five-day period of isolation, Ronaldo will be free to link up with his new teammates this Wednesday, with his likely debut at home to Newcastle United coming three days later.
It's set to be a big occasion, and for that reason, Ronaldo's mum may not be allowed to watch by her record-breaking son.
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Dolores, according to her son, gets too nervous watching the superstar play, even fainting on two occasions.
"She's not allowed now to watch big games," he joked to Piers Morgan in an interview for the Daily Mail.
"I say, 'Listen, I don't have a father any more. I don't want to lose my mum, too, so you're not going to watch the quarter finals, semi-finals, or finals."
He previously said: "She gets so nervous, I don't understand why. She is not allowed now to watch big games.
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"I get friends to stay with her and she goes for walks around the house. She fainted two times in the stadium. She is nervous. She worked hard to give her best for her children and especially for me because I'm the youngest in the family."
The atmosphere is set to be electric at Old Trafford on Saturday, with no.7 Ronaldo shirts already generating a reported £30m in sales since his return to United.
Ronaldo was also keen to point out the sacrifices his mother has made to help him get this far. He's played for the likes of Man United, Real Madrid and Juventus, but it all began with moving away from home at a young age.
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"She suffered to give me opportunity. I remember when I was 12 and I told her I wanted to go to Lisbon to play with Sporting Lisbon's youth team," Ronaldo added.
"She said to me, 'Son, if it's really what you want, I'm not going to cut your legs and stop you. You can go. It will be difficult for me to leave you but go. Follow your dreams."
Two decades on, Ronaldo is preparing for one of the biggest welcoming parties that English football has ever seen.
Words by Tom Fenton.
Topics: Football, Manchester United, Premier League, Cristiano Ronaldo
