The Portuguese star has always avoided mentioning his father. The only time Ronaldo’s father has come into the limelight during his career was during his dispute with former Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.

However, Ronaldo recently opened up about his father, Jose Dinis Aveiro, in an intimate conversation with British journalist Piers Morgan. The Portuguese striker said he never spoke to his father like a normal person, because he was drunk most of the time when they were close, when he was not yet a world- famous player .

Speaking about Aveiro, who passed away in 2005, Ronaldo said: “Many times I learn about this man and I understand more and more why my father became the man he was. When I talk about my father, I have no words to describe what I feel, very painful.”

Ronaldo is closer to his mother than to his father. Photo: GETTY.

During the interview, Morgan showed Ronaldo a video of his father talking about his success and how happy he was. It made the Portuguese striker cry.

Ronaldo said it was the first time he had seen the video and shared: “I had never seen that video before. It was unbelievable. Hearing my father talk about how proud he was of me was really meaningful. I thought the interview would be funny, but I didn’t expect to cry.”

Ronaldo added about his father: “He is an alcoholic. I never talked to him like a father and son, like a normal conversation. I felt he was not sober enough to feel my love for him.”

Piers Morgan, a British journalist who was previously a huge fan of Lionel Messi, has changed his mind after an interview with Cristiano Ronaldo. He has had many conversations with Ronaldo, most recently a shocking interview late last year that led to Manchester United terminating the contract of their prized player.

Asked on talkSPORT why Ronaldo chose her to open up, Morgan said: “Well, Cristiano asked me to interview him – simple as that. I didn’t ask him, he asked me. It was a very normal thing. Ronaldo had been thinking about it for a long time.

Ronaldo in one of his interviews with journalist Morgan. Photo: GETTY.

I think it’s no secret that he’s been deeply frustrated with what’s happened at United over the past year. Ronaldo felt this was the time to speak out. He knew it would cause a stir, and shake some people up.

But Ronaldo also feels he should do this. He knows that people will criticize him. And Ronaldo also knows that what he is saying is true, about work, about career, about family, about relationships. Sometimes the truth hurts.”