"I had his name on a shirt that I always wore" - Chelsea attacker Nicolas Jackson expresses admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo

Chelsea attacker Nicolas Jackson has said that he had Cristiano Ronaldo's name on a shirt he always wore while growing up. The Senegalese made the interesting revelation during an exclusive interview with The Telegraph, where he expressed his admiration for Ronaldo.

The Portuguese continues to be a role model for young and rising p;ayers across the globe. Thanks to his brilliant exploits on and off the pitch, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has inspired the younger generation to believe that they can reach the top by working hard, and Jackson is no exception.

Speaking to The Telegraph, the Chelsea winger confessed that he idolised the Al Nassr superstar right from childhood and explained how he showed it by inking his name on a shirt he frequently wore.

“When I was growing up, I loved Cristiano Ronaldo," Jackson said. "I had his name on a shirt that I always wore. Not an actual shirt because they are expensive, so you don’t buy them. But I had a shirt that I put 7, Ronaldo on with a pen. I did it myself when I was a kid."

Despite being a huge lover of Ronaldo, watching the Portuguese in action wasn't easy for Jackson. The Chelsea explained that he needed to join a large group and march down to a friend's house to catch a glimpse of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner running riot for Real Madrid.

“Of course, I would pretend to be him, but it was difficult to watch his games because you needed to pay.

We would go to my friend’s house, everybody. We would watch in a large group, never just with one person in the house. All my friends, we’d all go to one house to watch Real Madrid,” he revealed.

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Nicolas Jackson and Cristiano Ronaldo's stats this season

Nicolas Jackson arrived at Chelsea following a €37 million transfer from Villarreal in the summer. Following a slow start to life at Stamford Bridge, the Senegalese forward has hit the ground running.

In 14 appearances across competitions, he has notched up seven goals. That includes six goals in 11 Premier League games and one in three outings in the EFL Cup.

Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, is running riot with Al Nassr this season. The Portuguese legend has league-leading tallies of 16 goals and nine assists in 17 games across all fronts.