"He always wants more and more" - Real Madrid star reveals key quality that made Cristiano Ronaldo special
Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric has lauded former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo's work ethic. Modric spent six seasons playing alongside the Portuguese icon at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Ronaldo became a Los Blancos legend during his time at Madrid. He scored 450 goals and provided 131 assists in 438 appearances across competitions and finished as the top goalscorer in La Liga thrice.
The Portuguese is often heralded for his goalscoring prowess. However, Modric has taken the time to praise his former colleague for his work rate. The Real Madrid midfielder said that Ronaldo's relentless nature to succeed is special (via MadridXtra):
"Most special thing about Cristiano Ronaldo? His work ethic. He always wants more and more. He's never happy with what he does. This is amazing. The demand he put on himself and the team was unbelievable."
Cristiano Ronaldo has now played in five different leagues. He started his career in the Primeira Liga with Sporting CP. It didn't take long before he was garnering interest from top European sides.
Manchester United lured him away from the Jose Alvalade Stadium in 2003. His impressive work ethic was on display throughout his first spell at Old Trafford. However, it was during his time at Real Madrid that Ronaldo truly grew into one of the greatest athletes in history.
Ronaldo is still showing his eagerness to be at the top of his game with Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League. He has already scored eight goals in nine games since arriving in the Middle East in January.
Cristiano Ronaldo's former agent Jorge Mendes advised him not to leave Real Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo departed Real Madrid in 2018 when he joined Juventus. In the process, he ended nine illustrious seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Portuguese striker won the UEFA Champions League four times and La Liga twice. He also won four Ballons d'Or awards while with Los Blancos.
El Mundo reports that Ronaldo's former agent Mendes had advised the player against leaving the Bernabeu in 2018. The super agent was reported as saying:
“Stay at Real Madrid, you will be protected. If you go out, it will be worse.”
Ronaldo did leave to join Juventus and continued his goalscoring dominance. He managed 101 goals in 134 games for the Old Lady. He also won the Serie A title twice. However, it's fair to say that the Portuguese hasn't hit the heights he managed with Madrid.