Cristiano Ronaldo Says He Doesn't Walk Onto The Pitch Wanting To Dribble Anymore

Cristiano Ronaldo has changed his game drastically over the last few years, so much so that he no longer gets a buzz out of dribbling.

In his pomp at Manchester United, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner was comfortably the best dribbler in world football, possessing the perfect blend of speed and skill.

But as time has gone on, 'CR7' has become more of a 'penalty box player' - experiencing so much success that he's now recognised as one of the greatest goalscorers ever to play the game.

And as his game as adapted, so too has Ronaldo's mentality when he steps onto the pitch.

"I see football as a mission: go to the field, win, make me better," Ronaldo said in an interview with El Pais, per the Independent.

"Those moments when I went to the field thinking, 'I'm going to dribble," if I'm honest, I don't have those moments anymore.

"There is an additional pressure. People are always judging: 'It's over already. He's 33, 34 or 35 years old, I should leave him.' And you want to surprise people."

But while heading isn't his thing anymore, heading most definitely is.

In the 1-1 draw with city rivals Torino on Friday night, Ronaldo notched his 100th headed goal of his career to salvage a point for the Bianconeri and deny Torino their first away derby win for 24 years.

Ronaldo demonstrated the special aerial prowess that defenders simply cannot prepare for and further proved that he is the best header of a ball in football history.

When the delivery is on point, as it was last night, it's just inevitable that Ronaldo is going to rise highest.

During biomechanic tests on the forward at the University of Chichester in 2011, with the whole thing documented in an in-depth video for Castrol Edge Rankings, it emerged that Ronaldo is able to jump higher than an average NBA player.

Able to generate 5G of G-force on take-off and helped by his a thigh circumference of 62cm, he can reach heights of 44 cm from a standing start and 78 cm when he has a run-up - 7cm more than the average basketballer.

Topics: Football News, Football, Manchester United, Serie A, Ballon d'Or, Portugal, Juventus, Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid

Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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