Portugal v Algeria – International Friendly – Source: Getty

Former Real Madrid star Rafael van der Vaart has shared details on Cristiano Ronaldo’s “selfish” mindset and his dedicated training regimen. The Portuguese superstar is a living legend in the football world, with five Ballon d’Or wins.

Ronaldo and Van der Vaart played 1123 minutes together across 21 games for Los Blancos, averaging 2.57 points. Reminiscing about their time together in Madrid, the Dutchman told talkSPORT’s The LineUp (via GOAL):

“He never left his house! I always say as a joke, Ronaldo is the only player that I never saw his willy! He was the first one on the training [pitch]! And the last one who went. First of all his body, wow! A machine. He was a little bit ahead of his time, players now are the same. But his training in the gym, food, sleep. For him that was more important than training extra hard.”

Van der Vaart concluded, saying:

“Ronaldo was so unbelievably selfish, if we won 6-0 and he did not score, he was not happy. When we lose but he scored twice, it’d be alright!. No, no! It was just that he needs to score. It was the same with Ruud van Nistelrooy, I had so many chats with him and it was so interesting because he was always like ‘I need my goals! I need my goals!'”

Cristiano Ronaldo spent nine years with Real Madrid and left the club as the highest goalscorer in the legendary club’s history, with 451 strikes. At 39, he currently plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s legacy at Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo joined Real Madrid in 2009 from Manchester United in a world-record deal that was reported to cost the Spanish giants €94 million.

He proved to be one of the most inspired pieces of business in the club’s history, breaking the club’s goalscoring record and departing for a profit nine years later.

Ronaldo enjoyed a trophy-laden spell with Los Blancos, helping them to four UEFA Champions League crowns, two LaLiga titles, three FIFA Club World Cups, two Copas del Rey, and two UEFA Super Cups. He also claimed the Ballon d’Or four times at the club.

Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid in 2018 for Juventus for a reported fee of €117 million after playing 438 games, during which time he scored 451 goals and 131 assists. He is considered a club legend for his exploits and success for the Madrid-based club.