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When we talk about players who had evolved the most, we can see Cristiano Ronaldo stands tall among them. From being a flashy winger who often lacked the end product, he went on to become the greatest goal scorer Europe has ever produced .
During his days as a Manchester United player, he would run at the defences with the ball at his feet, showing off his skills. The current version is a guaranteed goal scorer, but he was actually concentrated on showing off his skills and scoring spectacular goals.
He, under the guidance of Sir Alex, changed his game. It was actually Rene Meulensteen, the current Kerala Blasters coach in ISL, made him the goal scorer he now is. Meulensteen was the one who convinced Ronaldo that scoring spectacular goals are impressive, but the most important fact is that the ball should end up in the net. Ronaldo, being an avid learner, agreed to these and was made to watch videos of great strikers like Shearer, Nistelrooy and the likes.
It was a defining moment of Ronaldo's career. He began scoring goals for fun. He upped it after his transfer to Real Madrid. He transformed into a winger/forward role, cutting in from the left and shooting at the goal. He improved his finishing powers gradually and became the poacher he now is.
The goal-machine
From being having zero goals to his name untill his 30th match in the Champions League to becoming the first player to score a century of goals in the most prestigious club competition, how the Portugal captain has come is nothing short of remarkable.
Also, none have bagged more assists than the mercurial Portuguese. The Real Madrid spell is still going on and he is contracted till 2021, with the talks of an extension going on.
He showcased his leadership qualities by leading an average Portugal side to European glory in 2016. He was a true example of how a captain must lead his team. When he got injured, he was at the sidelines encouraging his teammates. This was not present in his game while he was at Manchester united.
The Portuguese captain is the personification of dedication. He won his first golden ball with Manchester united. He was at the best club of that time along with Pep Guardiola's mercurial Barcelona side. He could have won more trophies if he had stayed, but he instead went to Real Madrid, his dream club.
A new journey
When he came to Madrid, they were a team getting eliminated by the likes of Lyon and Liverpool in the round of 16's. From there, he lifted them up alongside his teammates to where they belong.
From being regular semi finalists under Mourinho to winning the Decima under Carlo Ancelotti, Madrid side became the best in the world, courtesy to one man, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Madrid went on to become the first side to defend their crown successfully in the Champions League era and Cristiano Ronaldo was the top scorer in each of those title winning campaigns.
He was also the top scorer of the competition for sixth time in a row. He holds the record of scoring most goals in a single campaign of the competition with 17 goals in the Decima winning campaign.
The way he transformed himself is a notable thing here. He stopped dribbling too much and started concentrating on the end product. There is no better player in the world who can head like Ronaldo does. That leap over Patrice Evra is still fresh in the memory of football fans.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the top scorer of Real Madrid with an average of more than a goal per game. He achieved this in a short span of 8 years, which is truly remarkable and shows his goal scoring prowess . He has won everything in club football and also led his nation to their first ever international trophy.
The way he dismantled the best defence of Europe last season is a good example of how good he is when it comes to big games. It's a dream for every other player to score like he did in the knockouts of the Champions League 2016-17. Manuel Neuer, Jan Oblak and Gigi Buffon were helpless infront of him.
Cristiano is going to be 33 next February. The talks had already started about his decline. There are discussions on whether his days at the top are numbered. But remember, this is Cristiano Ronaldo; the warrior who can never be slayed.
He resurges like a phoenix bird whenever there is a doubt about him. He will most probably collect his fifth Ballon d'Or in the coming months. If he goes on to win the FIFA World Cup in Russia next year, it will place him as the greatest player the game has ever produced .
