Stephy Mavididi shares ‘main’ reason why ex-teammate Cristiano Ronaldo is where he is right now by recalling what he saw at Juventus

Leicester City forward Stephy Mavididi has outlined why Cristiano Ronaldo is so successful in his career. The Englishman saw the Portuguese icon up close during their time together with Juventus.

Ronaldo has pushed the limits of excellence during his long and fruitful career. The five-time Ballon d'Or has won the league in England, Spain, and Italy, and is largely considered one of the greatest players of his generation.

Meanwhile, Mavididi rose through the ranks at Arsenal and arrived at Juventus in 2018. The 26-year-old had the chance to rub shoulders with Cristiano Ronaldo at Turin, but the two never appeared together for the club.

Speaking to Eurosport, Mavididi insisted that Ronaldo's dedication to his craft is the secret behind his success.

"The main thing is that whether there’s a crowd or not, he’s still the same. In the gym, there are no crowds there, but he’s in there, he’s working," said Mavididi.

He continued:

"After training, he’s doing his free kicks and his finishing whether there’s a crowd or not. For me, that’s one of the reasons why he is where he is.”

Cristiano Ronaldo turned 40 earlier this month but has shown no signs of slowing down. He has already crossed the 900-goal barrier and is now pushing to achieve the iconic 1000-goal mark.

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How many goals has Cristiano Ronaldo scored for Juventus?

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at Juventus from Real Madrid in the summer of 2018, in a reported €112m move. The Portuguese superstar spent three seasons in Turin, registering 101 goals from 134 games.

He lifted the Serie A title in his debut campaign and subsequently became the first player to win the league in England, Spain, and Italy. He was adjudged the most valuable player for the season in the league.

Ronaldo helped the Bianconeri retain the league title the following season, finishing with 37 league goals, the most in a season for the club. He won the Capocannoniere award the following season after finishing as the highest goalscorer in the league with 29 league goals.

However, Juventus missed out on the league title in Ronaldo's third season. The Portuguese won the Coppa Italia once and the Supercoppa Italiana on two occasions with the Bianconeri.

However, he failed to guide them to Champions League glory during his stay at the club. Ronaldo ultimately left Juventus in the summer of 2021 to complete a blockbuster return to Manchester United, before moving to Al-Nassr in December 2022.