Ronaldo: People told me I was too skinny to make it- Goal.com

The Portugal international reveals that he used
the negativity towards his body shape as a
youngster to motivate him to become the
impressive physical specimen he is today
Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo says
that being told that he was "too skinny" as a
youngster drove him to become the player that
he is today.
The Portugal international first came to
prominence as a slender, teenage winger at
Manchester United but he began putting on
more and more muscle before departing for
Real Madrid in 2009.
Nowadays, Ronaldo is renowned for his
sculptured physique and the 30-year-old
explained that his success is all down to the
extra hours that he puts in at the gym.
"You have to work so hard," the forward stated
in a promotional video. "I do this every day.
This is why I have been at the top level for
many, many years.
"It's not a coincidence. I do so much extra
work outside of the pitch.
"When I was younger most people told me:
'Cristiano, you are a very talented player but
you are too skinny.'
"So I put it in my mind that my body can
improve. With dedication and hard work in the
gym, I improved a lot on that - at the end of
the day it's down to the person's mindset.
"Athleticism also means a huge amount - these
small details make a huge difference so it's very
important to do this work and it's going really
well for me.
"That's why I'm always in good shape all year
round. I do that kind of work because I have
to, it's part of me."
Ronaldo scored a personal-best 61 goals in just
54 appearances in all competitions for Madrid
last season.