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Legendary former Real Madrid and Barcelona striker Ronaldo has spoken of his experiences developing under the tutelage of Brazilian icon Romario.
A guest on Twitch show Bobo TV, the two-time World Cup winner detailed his time playing alongside Romario,
“I learned a lot from Romario and Bebeto,”
the ex-striker continued,
“They were an inspiration for me even if Romario was a motherf***** because he forced young players to clean his boots or bring him coffees.”
“A few years later, in 1997 I was an important player already. I had already won the Ballon d’Or and during the training retreat for the Copa America, Romario suddenly told me: ‘Get ready, we go out tonight, don’t worry.’
“He had prepared a ladder to climb over the hotel’s wall and there was a taxi waiting for us on the other side.
“We returned at 5 am and I was exhausted the following day in training. I understood that Romario did it on purpose to tire me out and take my spot in the starting XI.”
With Romario no longer part of the Brazil set-up, Ronaldo's rise was not enough to stop France from thrashing Brazil 3-0 in the 1998 World Cup final.
The former striker, however, had huge success at the 2002 World Cup, scoring two goals as Brazil beat Germany in the final.
He also won the tournament’s Golden Boot, finishing with an impressive eight goals.
Ronaldo’s influence on the game today
Ronaldo’s retirement in 2011 had a huge impact on the Brazilian national side, with the team not the proposition they once were, they haven't won a World Cup since.
His glistening career is one that many have looked to follow and has influenced many other talents.
None more so than Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi, who told AS his opinion on the Brazilian legend,
"Ronaldo [Nazario] was a phenomenon. Of all the strikers I ever saw, he was the best. He was seriously impressive."
This generation’s greatest array of forwards can all be attributed to taking influence from the former striker.
Messi's Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe particularly encapsulates the speed and power that the icon is well known for.
The former striker even gave his thoughts on who the current best striker in world football is.
His monumental career is still influential in the game today.
