Cristiano Ronaldo news: 'Ronaldo never wanted to leave training,' says former Sporting teammate on Juventus star's work ethic

What's the story?

Cristiano Ronaldo, who turned 34 earlier this month, is still going strong and has already made his impact in the Serie A with Juventus in his first season at the club. His former Sporting teammate Tonito has revealed that the reason for his dominance and longevity is the incredible work-ethic and effort he puts into training, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

He told the Italian newspaper that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner had to be dragged out of training sessions, as he never wanted to leave the ground, staying late every single day.

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In case you didn't know...

Ronaldo has already won his first trophy with the club which he joined last summer for €100 million, becoming their most-expensive signing ever in the process. He claimed the Supercoppa Italiana last month, after Juventus defeated AC Milan 1-0, in which the Portuguese was the only goalscorer.

The former Manchester United star is now the top scorer and top assister in Serie A again, having scored his 19th goal in Bianconeri colors against Frosinone on Saturday. Also he is right behind Lionel Messi in the European Golden Shoe race, with the Barcelona talisman scoring 22 goals in LaLiga so far.

The heart of the matter

Ronaldo is considered one of the best football players of all time. His strong work ethic, dedication to training at the highest level and strict diet are what have helped him reach the heights at which he is today.

Now, Tonito, his former Sporting teammate, has revealed that he used to train hard from the very beginning and used to leave the training ground very late. He told Gazzetta dello Sport: (Via Goal.com)

“During training, he'd turn heads among the veterans, and I'd say to him: 'Steady, don't overdo it...'"

"I'd have to wait an hour at the training ground, because he never wanted to leave."

He said that he used to talk him out of training every day and dragged him out of the gym.

“I'd bang on the window of the gym and say: 'Come on, Cris, it's time to stop - it's getting late!”

What's next?

Ronaldo still trains very hard and looks like he has many more years of football left in him. Juventus will certainly hope he can keep up his incredible level of play as they seek to win the Champions League for the first time since 1996.