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Former Portugal manager Luiz Felipe Scolari believes Cristiano Ronaldo's dedication and mental strength have been the key factors, rather than talent alone.
The Al Nassr forward has already established himself as one of the greatest to ever play the game. Even at the age of 37, he has shown no signs of hanging up the boots.
The Portuguese ace boasts multiple impressive attributes that have led to him scoring 820 senior career goals in 1,115 games for club and country. This is the highest tally in world football.
Scolari, who managed the Portugal side which included the former Real Madrid forward between 2003 and 2008, achieved moderate success. He led Portugal to the final of the UEFA Euro 2004, as well as a fourth-place finish at the 2006 World Cup.
During this time period, he was able to hone the talent of a young Ronaldo. During an interview with Mail Online, this is what he had to say about the five-time Ballon d'Or winner:
“He is the most dedicated of them all. The most talented, he might not be. Talent is not one of the first virtues when we think of Ronaldo, but dedication is what makes him who he is. It is the first virtue when I think of him.”
He also commended the veteran's development from a goal machine at Sporting CP to a global superstar at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson. He said:
"He's a goal machine. He's a fantastic guy. I saw him at Sporting in 2003 with great desire and power - and he has even more desire today than he had at the beginning of his career. He is a great person."
Scolari added:
"Sometimes we don't see how good a person he is outside of the field. He is very dedicated. He prepared himself to be an athlete. Ferguson and his youth coaches were responsible for evolving Cristiano into who he is. It makes me very happy to see him do it at the highest level until this day."
Cristiano Ronaldo nets last-minute penalty to secure 2-2 draw for Al Nassr
Ronaldo finally got off the mark and scored his first goal for Al Nassr with a 93rd-minute penalty. His goal secured a point for his side against Al Fateh in an enticing Saudi Pro League game on Friday (February 3).
The 37-year-old joined Al Nassr in December on a two-and-a-half-year deal, with wages reportedly worth over €200 million per year. He was subsequently appointed as club captain, shortly after his arrival.
After failing to score on his debut last month, Ronaldo finally scored an all-important goal on Friday. He will be hoping to add to his tally when Al Nassr travels to Al Wedha on Thursday (February 9).
Al Nassr is currently leading the Saudi Pro League table, level on 34 points with Al Shadab, however with a game in hand.
