Ronaldo cried for days after joining Sporting

Aurelio Pereira was Sporting's youth coordinator who discovered Cristiano Ronaldo at the age of eleven. He was playing for the youth team Nacional's of his hometown Funchal. 

Pereira told 'Goal' that he brought the Portuguese at the age of twelve to the country's capital Lisbon where he spent days crying. It was very difficult for the young teenager to adapt since he missed his family, his friends and his village a lot. 

But Ronaldo was strong. He didn't return and kept working on his career and despite his personal problems he gave everything. He was in his young years very talented.

"He had fantastic control, his mentality was great, and he had a great attitude and determination. He arrived at 12 and he passed the trial. When he was 16 years old, he passed the trial for the first team.

"All the rest of the kids older than Cristiano felt that he was there, that he was different, extraordinary. [Even] when he was young, he already trained with weights".

Pereira is convinced that the 31-year-old has good chances to win ths year's Baloon D'Or since he won the Champions league and Euro 2016.

Ronaldo faces his boyhood club Sporting Lisbon with Real Madrid tomorrow and is very excited. Pereira is sure that the Portuguese will behave in a respectful way like he did before.

"I remember perfectly the day he played here with Manchester United (Ronaldo scored the winning goal, but did not celebrate and was given a standing ovation). I was at the stadium and it was a fine welcome.

"I know that people will do the same when he comes with Real Madrid. He is highly respected within the club. We are all excited about that game in Lisbon".