Maniche: Ronaldo was determined even at a young age

Cristiano Ronaldo made his debut for the Portugal national team in 2003 at the age of 18. Few people could have predicted then that this step would mark the start of an international career spanning twenty years and featuring many records.

The young player joined a dressing room that included established names such as Luis Figo, Deco and Maniche. Maniche said that he and Deco did everything they could to help Ronaldo settle into the squad in the early days and to look after him. In their view, the young star was very young and therefore needed protection.

Maniche said Ronaldo was not shy about teasing his teammates and stood out for his competitive nature. He said Ronaldo kept his own character without being intimidated by senior players such as Figo, Fernando Couto and Pauleta. He stressed that this attitude was a mindset that very few players in history have had.

His attitude in training was also striking. According to Maniche, Ronaldo was the first to enter the dressing room and the last to leave training. Faced with this determination, the other players wondered how this young man could be so mentally focused and why he always wanted more.