7 facts about Cristiano Ronaldo that you didn't know

There are a few things not many fans know about Cristiano Ronaldo“Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most influential athletes in sports today. I greatly respect his competitive mindset on the field, and it’s no surprise that he is currently considered the best soccer player in the world."That’s what Pele told Time Magazine when Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo was named one of the World's 100 Most Influential People. Ronaldo is one of the most iconic global superstars in the world at this moment, but there is more to him than what we perceive him to be.Here are the 7 facts about Ronaldo that people might not know about.

#1 Cristiano Ronaldo never wanted the number 7 shirt

After joining Manchester United back in 2002/03, Ronaldo was offered the number 7 shirt. However, he was too worried about the pressure that the shirt, worn by club legends like Johnny Berry, George Best, Steve Coppell, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona and David Beckham, came along with.

“After I joined, the manager asked me what number I'd like,” he said. “I said 28.

“But Ferguson said, 'No, you're going to have No. 7' and the famous shirt was an extra source of motivation. I was forced to live up to such an honour.”

He was later given the same number at Real Madrid when long-serving club captain Raul Gonzales left the club for Schalke.

#2 Ronaldo was once arrested on charges of rape

A month after his father's death in 2005, Cristiano Ronaldo was taken into custody after being accused of raping a woman at a London hotel. But, very soon he was soon granted bail by Scotland Yard due to lack of evidence to pursue a case against him. The charges were subsequently dropped a month later.

“I have been notified that the police investigation has been closed and no action will be taken against me in relation to the allegations made previously,” Ronaldo later said about the incident.

“I have always strongly maintained my innocence of any wrong-doing and I am glad that this matter is at an end so that I can concentrate on playing for Manchester United.”

#3 Ronaldo\'s footballing career almost ended when he was 15

Cristiano Ronaldo was diagnosed with a racing heart when he was 15, something that could have forced the Ballon d'Or winner to retire even before his football career started. He was representing Sporting CP then, and the staff were made aware of the situation.

“His heart raced a lot when he wasn't running,” Ronaldo’s mother Dolores Aveiro revealed.

“They used a sort of laser to cauterise the source of the problem. He was operated on in the morning and came out at the end of the afternoon.”

The surgery was successful and he was discharged from hospital by the end of the afternoon.

“Before we knew exactly what he had, I was worried because there was the possibility of him giving up playing football. But the treatment went well and after a few days he was back in training again.”

#4 Ronaldo wasn\'t good enough for Liverpool

Back in 2003, Liverpool were on the verge of signing Ronaldo before his move to Manchester United for £12.2 million from Sporting. Former Liverpool manager, Gerard Houllier had admitted to have watched him play, but due to a lack of funds and lack of interest, talks broke down.

“I saw him in the Toulon Under-21 tournament and we went for him, but we had a wage scale and we weren’t paying the sort of salary he wanted,” he explained.

“Then Manchester United played a friendly against Sporting Lisbon and all their boys said to Sir Alex Ferguson, ‘You have to sign him’. But I agreed with not breaking the wage structure. I thought it would cause problems in our dressing room.”

We suspect things worked out for the best. Ronaldo hardly ever talks about Liverpool and the man who is driven by sheer ambition has a comment about every football related thing in the world. So there must be some animosity that still exists.

#5 It was Ronaldo\'s mother who called him a cry-baby first

Often accused of being a play-actor on the pitch, Ronaldo's history with bad name-calling is quite a common norm these days. Rival fans taunt him in several ways; 'Cry-baby' being one of them.

But, surprisingly, it was the player's own mother who nicknamed him 'Cry-baby'. Not the supporters.

His mother, Dolores Aveiro revealed: “He was nicknamed 'Cry-baby'. He cried and got angry very easily if a teammate didn't pass him the ball, if he or someone else missed a goal or a pass, or if the team wasn't playing how he wanted.”

#6 Ronaldo was expelled from school for throwing a chair at the teacher

Cristiano Ronaldo was one of the popular kids at school, however, his reputation didn't help him when he was expelled after throwing a chair at his teacher who made fun of his Madeiran accent and mocked his family's financial status.

“I was not thick but I was not interested in school,” he admitted. “I was expelled after I threw a chair at the teacher. He disrespected me.”

#7 Cristiano Ronaldo is everything but selfish

Often accused of being a selfish player, he is often mistaken to be a person who is arrogant and full of ego; which is not the case.

He has always been involved with fund-raising NGOs and has even donated £100,000 to a hospital back in 200 so that they could build a cancer centre in his native island of Madeira. In addition, he had once sold his golden boot, that he had won in 2011 for €1.5m.

He later used the money to fund schools for children in Gaza. He is also an ambassador to ‘Save the Children’ and ‘The Mangrove Care Forum’ in Indonesia.