One of Cristiano Ronaldo's former coaches has revealed a conversation he had with the ex-Real Madrid superstar at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
The Juventus talisman came through the ranks at Sporting CP in Portugal, where he crossed paths with goalkeeping coach Dan Gaspar, who was also a part of A Selecao's technical team at the World Cup in South Africa 11 years ago.
In a recent interview, Gaspar praised Ronaldo's unique leadership style and revealed a specific conversation he had with the then-Los Blancos forward during some downtime at the 2010 World Cup that made him appreciate his compatriot's drive and determination.
"There are different types of leaders," he told The Indian Express.
"Ronaldo is one of those leaders who demonstrate not with words but instead through his actions. People often confuse arrogance with confidence.
"His leadership and maturity have evolved over the years. Through your experiences, you gain wisdom, knowledge, and compassion.
"What people don't realise is his tremendous generosity behind the scenes. He has a huge heart. Once, during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Ronaldo and I were alone in the steam room.
"I had asked him, 'What motivates you?' and he had simply replied, 'Winning. I want to be the best in the world, the best of all time.'
"Ronaldo lives every second, minute, hour, day, week, month, and year of his life working hard to be the best of all times by shattering records.
"He surrounds himself with a world-class team, the best medical staff, nutritionist, performance trainer, etc., who are all on the same mission. He's always the first at the training ground and the last one to leave."
Gaspar was also a member of Bafana Bafana's coaching staff in 2001 under the management of Carlos Queiroz.
