“If it was televised, it would have broken records” – Rio Ferdinand reveals how Cristiano Ronaldo would ‘almost cry’ over their pre-training game

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo would often come close to tears whenever he was beaten at table tennis before training.

The two would play against each other most mornings, with Ferdinand winning more often. Ronaldo, who was a teenager at the time, used to get frustrated losing against Ferdinand, showing how competitive he has always been on-and-off the pitch.

Ferdinand said the squad would mock Ronaldo for being competitive and taking hard losses. Speaking on the Kyle and Jackie O radio show, Ferdinand said (via the Daily Star):

"We used to play every other day before training, as part of the warm-up. I used to smash him all over the place.''

The former England international also believes their competitive table tennis sessions could have broken records had they been broadcasted. He also revealed how Ronaldo would sometimes cry, which explains how competitive he was even when he was just a teenage kid. Ferdinand added:

"He did beat me… it was me and him, [ranked] one and two, like [Roger] Federer and [Rafael] Nadal. If it was televised, it would have broken records. He used to, like, almost cry and that, he was so competitive.''

Ferdinand also noted that the teasing Ronaldo received was 'borderline bullying' but said it helped build the Portuguese superstar's resilience. The two were teammates for six seasons at Manchester United, winning several trophies together before Ronaldo's departure to Real Madrid in 2009.

Despite the teasing, Ronaldo's competitiveness has helped him become one of the greatest footballers of all time. He has won numerous individual awards, including five Ballon d'Or trophies.

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Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma credits childhood imitations of Portuguese icon Cristiano Ronaldo for his dribbling skills

Brighton and Hove Albion's Kaoru Mitoma has revealed that he used to imitate the dribbling skills of five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo when he was a child.

Mitoma, who joined Brighton from Japanese club Kawasaki Frontale last summer, said that he would watch videos of Cristiano Ronaldo and try to copy his moves on the pitch.

"I used to imitate the dribbling of Cristiano Ronaldo when I was a child. I still learn from him by watching videos," said Mitoma in an interview with My Albion TV.

Mitoma has impressed in his first season in England, scoring nine goals and providing seven assists in 27 appearances for Brighton in all competitions.