REAL MADRID LEGEND Jorge Valdano believes Cristiano Ronaldoโs unrivaled ego is the main motivation behind his incredible list of achievements.
Ronaldo declared himself the โbest player in historyโ after winning a fifth Ballon dโOr last week , equalling Lionel Messiโs record mark.
His comments sparked fresh discussion from current and former players as to his place among the gameโs greats and how he compares to the Barcelona star.
Valdano, who enjoyed successful stints with Los Blancos as both player and manager, believes Ronaldo is fuelled by his inner-drive rather than his rivalry with Messi.
โCristiano has the most profitable ego in the history of football,โ Valdano told Spanish broadcaster Onda Cero .
โHe has an extraordinary amount of confidence in himself and thatโs allowed him to improve a lot.
โThere are people who are confused by their ego and it turns into an excess of confidence. He puts it to work every week.
โMessi and Cristiano have opposite profiles but I do not think either of them accepts advice. They are capable of doing things few have done in the history of football.โ
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the yearโs best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Easonโs, or order it here today (โฌ10):
Weโve a really good side but still lacking in the final third. We just donโt seem to have a cutting edge up front and lack a decent playmaker to play killer passes. We could do with a second Katie McCabe in the middle to create some openings.
@GrumpyAulFella: aged like milk
OโSullivan is great at the back
Big test. This team has a history of choking when expected to win.
Hopefully theyโll pass the test with flying colours tonight!