"He's a born winner" - Roberto Martinez claims Cristiano Ronaldo has surprised him and has the hunger of a 18-year-old footballer

Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez has lauded former Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo for his enthusiasm and passion for football and winning.

During a recent interview with MARCA, Martinez praised Cristiano Ronaldo's hunger and desire to get better on the football field. He said that he hasn't seen a player who has played more than 200 international matches and still has the enthusiasm of an 18-year-old. The former Belgium boss said:

"What surprised me most about Ronaldo is his hunger. I've never seen a player with so much experience and with so much desire to be the best in every training session. That's something contagious in our dressing room.

"For an 18 or 19-year-old player who arrives at the dressing room and sees a player like Ronaldo, who wants to win every exercise, who is the first to arrive, the last to leave... Ronaldo's hunger is that of an 18-year-old footballer. in a way I didn't expect"

Martinez also labeled the former Manchester United star as an individual destined to win. He added that Ronaldo's demanding nature is a major reason behind his success. Martinez also affirmed that the Portuguese forward has evolved into a complete footballer over the years, saying:

"He's a born winner, very, very, very, very demanding. Something that explains what he achieved, because he has those aspects as a footballer. And then, throughout his career, I think he's changed as an attacking player, now he's more a finisher."

Cristiano Ronaldo made his debut for Portugal in 2003. Since then, the Portuguese forward has bagged 128 goals and 46 appearances for his national side in 204 appearances.

Roberto Martinez, meanwhile, took up the managerial role at Selecao das Quinas earlier this year after Fernando Santos' sacking after the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Martinez's tenure with the Belgian football team also came to an end after the tournament.

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Former Barcelona star backs Cristiano Ronaldo to become the highest scorer of EURO 2024

Former Barcelona attacker Ricardo Quaresma has predicted that Cristiano Ronaldo will score the most goals in EURO 2024. He also said that the Portuguese forward will emerge as the best player of the tournament. Cristiano Ronaldo scored 10 goals in nine appearances in the qualifiers of the tournament, finishing second behind Romelu Lukaku (14).

During an interview with the official social media account of UEFA EURO 2024, Quaresma made his predictions about the forthcoming European tournament. He predicted French forward Kylian Mbappe to be the young player of the tournament.

He also named Turkey as the underdog for the EURO 2024. Later in the video clip, he backed the Al-Nassr attacker to be the top scorer and the best player at the European competition. Quaresma also affirmed that Portugal won the EURO 2024 title after defeating France in the final.

Roberto Martinez's Portugal has been drawn into Group F of the EURO alongside Turkey, the Czech Republic, and the eventual winner of Playoff C.