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Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo does not
believe he is deliberately targeted by opponents – despite his
rough treatment at the hands of Newcastle’s Steven
Taylor.
Taylor poleaxed Ronaldo with a brutal challenge during
Manchester United’s 2-1 win at St James’ Park on Wednesday and the
pair had to be separated after clashing in the tunnel.
But the midfielder, who according to statistics is officially
the Premier League’s most fouled player, insisted the majority of
his opponents do not set out with the intention of harming him. “On
the pitch I’m a target for defenders, so it’s difficult to avoid
certain things,” said Ronaldo.
“But I don’t believe people just want to do something wrong on
purpose. In my experience, the game is not carried out that way.
I’ve never had any serious problems.
“I do remember when a goalkeeper said that the only way to stop
United is to target Ronaldo – I went on to score two past him. “But
I don’t agree when people say that to stop United, you only need to
stop Cristiano. I don’t like it when people say that.”
He admits though, that he has had to toughen up since arriving
in Manchester as a little-known 18-year-old who was so
homesick he would cry every time he spoke with his family
back in his native Madeira.
He claims the heartache he suffered when he moved to England
proved the making of him and armed him with the necessary mental
strength to become European and World Player of the Year.
“They were the worst moments of my career, when I left my
family,” said Ronaldo. “It was a very very difficult part of my
life because I’d always had a lot of back-up from my mother, father
and my family.
“To go to a different place, different football, different
country was very complicated. We cried every week but, in that
respect, I grew a lot as a person and as a player, and that was
very important to me.
“For young players the conditions are difficult. They have to
work hard and fight for what they want to be in the future. In any
other profession, it’s the same. You cannot stop believing in
yourself.
“I started to play in Madeira in the street. The kids there
still love to play football and all would love to be professional
footballers one day. What they have to do is believe in themselves.
If someone catches the opportunities, they will have a great
life.”
Ronaldo now has a huge support network around him in Manchester.
His mother Dolores is a frequent visitor to his Cheshire home,
while his brother Hugo and sisters Elma and Liliana spend large
chunks of the year living with him.