"He invested a lot of money throughout his career" - Raphael Varane sheds light on how Cristiano Ronaldo maintains longevity in football

Former Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane has claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo invested a substantial amount of money in his physical and mental health to achieve what he has attained. Varane also lauded Ronaldo for his willpower and dedication on and off the pitch.

In an interview with L’Equipe, Varane spoke about Ronaldo's commitment and how the Portuguese has been able to attain longevity. He said (via Sports Illustrated):

"Firstly, he has an extraordinary physique. More importantly, he understood very young, very early on, that he needed to invest in his body to achieve his ambitions. He invested a lot of money throughout his career in his care, physically, mentally, or in performance research. That's the big difference with many high-level athletes: he did it from the start of his career when he was at Manchester United."

The Portuguese star and Varane were teammates for several years at Real Madrid and they also shared the pitch in a short stint at Manchester United. The Portuguese international is highly regarded as one of the best players to ever feature for Los Blancos.

In 438 games, Ronaldo scored 450 goals and registered 131 assists for Real Madrid. In two stints at Old Trafford, the Portuguese scored 145 goals and provided 64 assists in 346 appearances.

At the age of 40, the Portuguese is still firing on all cylinders for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League. His longevity in the footballing world could be traced to his commitment off the pitch which Varane has highlighted.

Meanwhile, Varane was also a solid defender, widely known for his pace in his playing days at the Bernabeu. In 360 appearances, the Frenchman scored 17 goals and registered seven assists for Los Blancos. In a short stint at Old Trafford, Varane scored two goals and provided one assist in 95 games.

How has Cristiano Ronaldo performed for Al-Nassr this season?

Al Nassr v Al Fayha - Saudi Pro League - Source: Getty

The Portuguese forward has arguably been Al-Nassr’s best player in attack this season. Ronaldo has also been productive and clinical in attack.

His attacking brilliance has seen him score 24 goals and register four assists in 26 games for Al-Nassr this season. Meanwhile, he's also the Saudi Pro League's top-scorer with 16 goals under his belt.

Al-Nassr are ranked third in the league's standings having registered 41 points from 19 games this season.