Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the hardest-working athletes on the planet. As a direct result of the work that he has put in, the Portuguese forward is still playing at the highest level at 37. However, it was a long journey for him to get here.

Ronaldo joined Manchester United as an 18-year-0ld winger with several tricks up his sleeve. He had lightning-fast feet and a great burst of acceleration that left Premier League defenders down on the ground time and again. However, to become the best player in the world, Ronaldo needed something more, and he found it.

In his third season with Manchester United, English fans got to see a new version of Ronaldo, who was a physical specimen. He didn’t look thin or weak and could muscle players off the ball easily. Just one year later, he won his first Ballon d’Or.

Mick Klegg reveals how Cristiano Ronaldo changed his physique

Ronaldo’s former trainer at Manchester United, Mick Klegg, spoke about Ronaldo’s “transformation” in an interview with the Independent. He revealed that he never saw Ronaldo as the “scrawny” kid that most people thought he was. The Portuguese forward put in the work and with time (five years of hard work), he could get to his ideal physique.

“I never saw a scrawny kid. That kid had a fantastic physique, a fantastic ability to move. All he needed was time. It’s five and a half years. It was five and a half years of the hardest work I’ve ever seen from any athlete ever,” Klegg said.

Klegg talks about the importance of confidence

The Englishman doubled down on Ronaldo, not being scrawny, and revealed what he wanted from his work-outs. Cristiano Ronaldo wanted a perfect amalgamation of strength, skill, and intelligence to show on the pitch. Klegg also added that his confidence played a key role in it all.

“It was never scrawny, what he wanted to do was get the right amount of the strength, the power, the skill, the cognitive processes, and all these things then come together. But it’s also about confidence,” Klegg added.

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