| There aren't a lot of soccer players in the | | | | years old and the Liverpool officials decided |
| world today that can honestly state they are | | | | he needs more time in the Portuguese league |
| more popular than Cristiano Ronaldo. Except | | | | before they sign him. |
| for a few already established super stars | | | | |
| such as Ronaldinho or David Beckham, | | | | Cristiano Ronaldo Biography - Sporting Lisbon |
| Cristiano Ronaldo is probably the most | | | | |
| popular rising star on the pitch. | | | | Being taken in the senior squad of Sporting |
| | | | meant the young player's first contact with |
| His good looks combined with his awesome | | | | professional football. Although he didn't |
| repertoire of Cristiano Ronaldo soccer tricks | | | | play regularly, the few moments that he did |
| and a hint of trademarked Cristiano Ronaldo | | | | get on the pitch were greeted with cheers |
| goals made him reach the level of fame on | | | | from the Sporting fans, who loved Cristiano |
| which he is basking in the spotlight sun | | | | Ronaldo's soccer tricks. In 2 seasons with |
| today. | | | | Sporting's senior squad, Ronaldo got to play |
| | | | 28 matches, scoring 3 times before he was |
| This Cristiano Ronaldo biography will try to | | | | picked up by Manchester United's scouts, at |
| take you through his career and although it's | | | | age 18. |
| a rare case that a player who is still in his | | | | |
| early 20s receives a biography, I'm sure | | | | Cristiano Ronaldo Biography - Manchester |
| you'll agree that a Cristiano Ronaldo profile | | | | United |
| is in order, considering his huge talent and | | | | |
| fame. | | | | Sir Alex Ferguson, manager and coach of |
| | | | Manchester United desperately needed a |
| Cristiano Ronaldo Biography - Youth Clubs | | | | quality right midfielder in 2003, as David |
| | | | Beckham had just left the club for Real |
| Born in Madeira to a family where soccer was | | | | Madrid. |
| cherished, Cristiano Ronaldo started playing | | | | |
| for a local amateur youth team called | | | | Bringing an 18-year old Portuguese player to |
| Andorinha, where his father handled the | | | | replace an international super-star like |
| equipment and acted as a kit man. | | | | Beckham didn't seem like a good idea at |
| | | | first, but from his first season Cristiano |
| Cristiano was 8 when he joined Andorinha and | | | | Ronaldo's goals proved decisive and he |
| by the time he was 10, he already sparked the | | | | quickly gained the love of the Red Devils' |
| curiosity of some of Portugal's biggest | | | | fans. |
| clubs. This led him to sign for the local | | | | |
| first-division team CD Nacional, where he | | | | In his following seasons at Manchester, with |
| would join the youth club and immediately | | | | more and more trust coming from Sir Alex |
| make an impact, helping his team win the | | | | Ferguson and the team's fans, Cristiano |
| youth championship the following year. | | | | Ronaldo developed into an extraordinary |
| | | | player that is now feared by even the |
| After just 1 year at Nacional, he was offered | | | | sturdiest defenders out there. |
| a youth contract by bigwigs Sporting Lisbon, | | | | |
| who are internationally renowned for having | | | | Despite the fact that he is just 22 years of |
| one of the best youth training facilities in | | | | age right now, Cristiano Ronaldo already has |
| the World. | | | | 208 professional matches and 53 goals (190 |
| | | | matches and 50 goals for Manchester, the |
| The young player fit right in at Sporting and | | | | others for Sporting) and 46 caps in the |
| started scoring regularly, although he was | | | | national squad, with a tally of 17 goals for |
| way too fond on his dribble at that point. | | | | Portugal. Impressive stats for such a |
| Despite this short coming, he was taken in to | | | | youngster. |
| various levels of the Portugal national youth | | | | |
| squad, finally getting his big break at the | | | | The best part is that with each passing year |
| UEFA under 17 Championship in 2001. | | | | Cristiano Ronaldo improves his game even |
| | | | further, so don't be surprised if in a couple |
| His great performance there drew the eyes of | | | | of years he steps up to become the greatest |
| Liverpool's scouts, but Ronaldo was just 16 | | | | footballer in activity. |