I was told I was too skinny to play football, says Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo talks about what he needed to do to get to the level he is at today

Cristiano Ronaldo is now a global superstar, but he had to work very hard to get where he is today. In an interview with Nike, the Portuguese international spoke about how he was written off at a very young age, and how he had to give it his all to become the best in the world.

Ronaldo has a huge fan following across the world, but not many people are aware of what all went into the making of ‘one of the best footballers of all-time’.

In a new promotional interview with Nike, the Portuguese icon reveals how he went about proving his critics wrong, who had previously termed him as ‘too skinny to play football’ despite all the ability he possessed. He says he focused on that aspect of his game, in particular, to improve his overall talent.

“It's not by coincidence. I do so much extra work outside of the pitch. When I was 12 years old most of the people told me, Cristiano, you are a very talented player, but you are too skinny,” the 30-year-old said.

“So I put it in my mind that my body can improve. With dedication and hard work in the gym I improved a lot on that - at the end of the day it's down to the person's mindset.”

In the video, the striker shows off his incredible flexibility and physique in a series of training drills. “You have to work so hard, I do this every day. This is why I have been at the top level for many, many years,” he added in the clip.

The current Ballon d’Or holder had the most prolific season of his career in the last campaign, where he scored an amazing 61 goals in 54 appearances with Real Madrid. In his entire career so far, Ronaldo has scored a mammoth 436 goals in 623 appearances.

He further stressed on the importance of athleticism, saying that it had helped him reach new heights and how serious he is in maintaining his fitness every day.

He said, “Athleticism also means a huge lot - these small details make a huge difference. So it's very important to do this work and it's going really well for me. That's why I'm always in good shape all year round. I do that kind of work because I have to, it's part of me.: