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What's the story?
One of the most promising prospects of Cristiano Ronaldo's former club Manchester United, Diogo Dalot has hailed the Juventus superstar as a complete athlete and a complete footballer, in an interview with SoccerBible Magazine.
Ronaldo is one of the best players in the history of the sport and arguably the best Portuguese footballer of all-time. Thus, it should not come as a surprise that the younger crop of rising footballing stars see him as nothing less than deity in his country.
In case you didn't know...
Ronaldo was named the best Portuguese player of all time by the Portuguese Football Federation in 2015, a year before he led his nation to their first-ever triumph at a major tournament at EURO 2016.
The 34-year-old right-footed forward is a very well rounded athlete and is as comfortable scoring goals with his head as he is with his feet, which can unleash absolute rockets when he's in form.
Though he may have been left red-faced in this season's UEFA Champions League as his side were sent home early from the competition, he has an outstanding record in the competition and holds the records for most goals scored in the Champions League, ahead of Lionel Messi, who has 112 goals as compared to 126 scored by his adversary.
Ronaldo also has the most assists in the competition with his 34 assists, proving his prowess as a team player and that he is not selfish.
The heart of the matter
Diogo Dalot, who was signed by fellow Portuguese Jose Mourinho for Machester United last season conceded in a recent interview that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has been his long-time idol. He told SoccerBible,
“Ronaldo, for me, was the main one. He was my idol from day one."
He said that he was in awe of the Red Devils' legends work ethics and hard work, which have just inspired him a lot. He said:
“For me, he was the main inspiration to start playing football. Not because I want to be like him, I want to take my own path, but to get to know him and see how he works is unbelievable.”
He was of the opinion that when it comes to defining what a complete footballer looks like, Ronaldo is the obvious answer that comes to his mind. He added:
"When you think of an athlete, a complete athlete, a complete footballer, you need to choose Cristiano."
What's next?
Portugal host Sweden next week in their UEFA Nations League semi-finals next week, where Ronaldo is expected to lead them to the final where they might face Netherlands or England.
