Cristiano Ronaldo reveals 'I suffered a lot at that moment' in admission to Rio Ferdinand

Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted that leaving home at just 12 years old was one of the main points of his life and saw him “suffer” greatly. The superstar opened up to ex-team-mate Rio Ferdinand about leaving behind his native Madeira for mainland Portugal and Sporting CP – where he was separated from his mother, father, and siblings.

Ronaldo took a huge leap at a young age. But his development at Sporting and subsequent acquisition by Manchester United in such a short space of time, shows it was a leap that paid off – and then some.

Now approaching 40 and having just notched his 900th career goal, the Portuguese forward shows no signs of slowing down. He believes that making the move as a child has hardened him for the chapters that followed.

When asked about leaving home, the superstar revealed on his UR YouTube Channel to Ferdinand: “For me, it was the main point, the big switch in my life – it was to suffer a lot at that moment.

“This is why I’m more willing and capable now to deal with the bad moments – which we all have, bad moments. When I moved at 11/12 years old there, it was really, really hard for me without my family, my mum, my dad, my brothers and sisters. Imagine your kid at 11 years old goes to London, another country.

“It’s difficult, but my mum and dad always support me and say, ‘Listen, Cristiano. If you want to follow your dream, it will be hard for us and it will be hard for you, but we’ll give you the opportunity’ – and I left.”

Things moved relatively quickly once Ronaldo joined Sporting’s ranks in 1997. By the age of just 17, he had progressed rapidly through the ranks in the Portuguese capital.

His first-team debut came in 2002, against Inter Milan in a Champions League qualifying tie. That season saw him catch the eye of some of Europe’s premier outfits, including Arsenal, who invited him along to the club’s training ground.

However, the long-term interest from Ferguson’s Red Devils was realised during a friendly in 2003, and the rest is history. Five Ballon d’Or awards later, and the great forward puts a lot of his success down to making the switch during his childhood.

“It was tough, and I’m blessed,” Ronaldo added. “I’m happy because to pass that moment, that difficult situation, I am now capable of another chapter of my life – to deal with all the pressure that we all have in football, away from football, with family, my wife, everything.”