After quitting football to join construction company, ex-Juventus player recalls message from Cristiano Ronaldo that 'stuck' with him

Former Juventus youth team star Cendrim Kameraj, who trained with Cristiano Ronaldo, recently went viral on social media after sharing an image of him working in a construction site. The Kosovo U21 international joined Juventus' academy in 2017 and his time at the club coincided with the Portugal captain's stint in Italy.

Despite earning the opportunity to train with the first team at Juventus, Kameraj's career failed to take off due to injuries. The defender had three separate anterior cruciate liagment (ACL) injuries and was forced to retire from football earlier this year.

Since calling it time on his career, Kameraj has been working with a construction company and recently went viral on TikTok where he displayed his change from training with Cristiano Ronaldo to working on a site.

And after he went viral, Kameraj has opened up on his time at Juventus. He referred to the experience of training alongside Cristiano Ronaldo as 'surreal'.

In an interview with Gianluca Di Marzio [via talkSPORT], Kameraj stated:

"It was surreal, something special, his energy pushed everyone to give more. What struck me most was his mentality, he never stopped and he constantly demanded more from himself and those around him.

"He once told me, 'Talent means nothing without consistency and hard work,' and that phrase stuck with me.

"Watching how he prepared showed me what it really means to be a professional."

Cristiano Ronaldo scored 101 goals in 134 appearances for Juventus during his three-year stint in Italy, before he returned to Manchester United in 2021.

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Why did Cristiano Ronaldo chew grass in training? Ex-Juventus player reveals bizarre incident

Former Juventus defender Gianluca Frabotta has revealed why Cristiano Ronaldo ended up chewing grass during a training session. Recalling the incident, Frabotta explained how the Portuguese superstar wanted to send a message to then-manager Maurizio Sarri.

In an attempt to make the Italian coach understand that he knew where the ball was going to end up, an 'annoyed' Ronaldo pulled up some grass, sniffed and later chewed it, according to Frabotta.

The former Juventus defender stated in an interview with Corriere della Sera:

“A daily example. One of his gestures stuck in my mind. During a tactical drill, Sarri was showing him the movements he should make in set pieces. He was a little annoyed. He was different; he didn't need instructions; he could sense where the ball would end up. To make the coach understand, he pulled up some grass, sniffed it, and chewed it.”

Maurizio Sarri was sacked by Juventus in 2020 after they were knocked out by Lyon in the round of 16 of the Champions League, despite Ronaldo scoring in the game.