‘Cristiano Ronaldo Reminded Me Of Michael Jordan,’ Rodrigo Tello Hails Juventus Superstar

KEY POINTS

Rodrigo Tello says Ronaldo reminded him of NBA star, Jordan
Ronaldo played for a season at Lisbon before moving to Man Utd in 2003
Ronaldo currently plays for Serie A club, Juventus

Cristiano Ronaldo was a lot different than a regular 17-year-old boy, his Sporting Lisbon’s teammate Rodrigo Tello said before adding that Ronaldo “reminded him of Michael Jordan.”

Ronaldo, one of the great players to have graced soccer, began his journey at Sporting Lisbon as a teenager. After scoring five goals in 31 matches for the club in his debut year as a first-team player, Ronaldo jumped to The Threatre of Dreams as Man Utd signed him ahead of the 2003-04 season. His transfer fee of $15.4 million made him, at the time, the most expensive teenager in the history of English soccer.

Under the management of Sir Alex Ferguson, Ronaldo went on to become a global star. In the six seasons at Man Utd, Ronaldo scored 118 goals in 292 games and bagged several trophies including three Premier League titles and a Champions League. Since then, Ronaldo has never looked back as he bettered his records at Real Madrid in Spain. After 18 years since his debut, Ronaldo continues to be the best, be it at the club or international level.

Tello, who played for Sporting Lisbon between 2001 and 2007, has hailed the Portuguese superstar, recollecting the time he spent with a young Ronaldo.

“I had the opportunity to be a teammate of a phenomenal footballer like him. Cristiano Ronaldo’s mentality was totally different from that of a 17-year-old boy. We played foosball and he was the best, we played billiards and he was the best, we did the weights and he was the one who lifted the most. He reminded me of Michael Jordan, a competitive person in everything. He did personalized training, even on match day,” Tello told Portuguese newspaper Record.

The Chile National went on to narrate the instance when his wife surprised him with a Ronaldo-signed jersey.

“I had a good relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo. When I turned years old, my wife surprised me and offered me a Juventus jersey signed by Cristiano Ronaldo. I have no idea how she got it,” added Tello.