Famous Soccer Players Profiles
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born on February 5th, 1985 in Madeira, Portugal and has practically become into the present's most important player of his generation, winning several prizes during his young career -at his short 23 years-old is already a huge star.
As most of the professional players Ronaldo started on football during his early childhood, exactly at eight, when through his father he played with an amateur team, following this he joined CD Nacional, where he staid for a couple of years, until a successful season called the attention from Sporting CP.
The Lisbon club signed the teenager after testing him and proving his talent. In there he grew as a professional footballer, staying with the franchise until reaching the highest league, currently named Liga Sagres.
During his 15, Cristiano went through some short but risky times, when he got a laser heart surgery after being diagnosed of racing heart beat from which he recover pretty fast. A prove of it is that he went back to the field in a less than a month. Just a year after the operation he called the attention of the French coach Gérard Haullier, who back then was managing the Liverpool FC, but the club decided to wait for him to get a little older.
However the time the Liverpool was supposed to wait extended a little too long, and Manchester United spotted the young Portuguese during summer 2003 at a friendly match between the them and the Sporting, Cristiano's performance blew everyone and just 3 days after he was leaving to the island of Great Britain.
Sir Alex Ferguson decided to have Ronaldo replacing David Beckham's position and #7 shirt, for the coach insisted on grant him the honour of wearing the legends' number. Cristiano was the first Portuguese ever to play with Manchester and the best payed teenage in Britain over a couple of seasons, by getting signed for £12.24 million.
Since his debut with Manchester he has shown the fans his versatility and skills, helping the team to attain several titles, including twice the Premier League and UEFA Champions League 2007/08.
Therefore the fans have supported him back, voting for him to became the FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year in 2 occasions; plus other awards and recognitions that from then on, have just been accumulating, specially after 2007-08 season, when became the second player in history that achieved the Professsional Footballers' Association treble.
During 2007 many rumours about a posible contract with Real Madrid for £54 million were heard, but they were overed when Ronaldo signed with the Reds a contract extension (until 2010) for £31 million, making him the highest-paid player in United's history.
Until today the rumours continue, but currently, he remains with Manchester United in the English Premier League and as captain of the Portuguese National team.
Some of his more remarkable honours:
- FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year: 2004-05, 2005-06
- Portuguese Footballer of the Year: 2006-07
- FIFPro World XI : 2006-07, 2007-08
- PFA Young Player of the Year: 2006-07
- PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2006-07, 2007-08
- PFA Fans' Player of the Year: 2006-07, 2007-08
- PFA Premier League Team of the Year: 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08
- FWA Footballer of the Year: 2006-07, 2007-08
- Barclays Players of the Season: 2006-07, 2007-08
- Barclays Golden Boot & Merit Award: 2007-08
- European Golden Shoe: 2007-08
- UEFA Club Fordward & Club Footballer of the Year: 2007-08
- FIFPro World Player of the Year: 2007-08
- Ballon d'Or: 2008
- FIFA World Player of the Year & Team of the Year: 2008
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