Yahoo News Frank Lampard 'stayed away' from Cristiano Ronaldo as true feelings shared on Portugal superstar
Frank Lampard has expressed admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo's commitment, recalling an encounter with the Portuguese footballer while on holiday.
Ronaldo, 39, is currently participating in his sixth European Championship finals and continues to be a key player for Portugal. He enters the tournament following a successful season with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, where he scored an impressive 44 goals in 45 matches.
The five-time Ballon d'Or recipient earned his 208th cap in Tuesday night's game against the Czech Republic. Lampard, who was providing commentary for BBC Sport, recounted how Ronaldo still found time to train even while on holiday.
Before Portugal's match against the Czechs, Lampard shared on BBC One, via the Mirror: "What a great attitude and professionalism from him to [still] be playing at this level. The numbers are incredible."
"I actually bumped into him on holiday a few months ago. I was in the same hotel on the beach. Unfortunately his sunspot every day was a bit down from me and I made sure to stay away from him because he was in incredible shape, so I gave him a little bit of distance! I pulled him over (as) I wanted my son to have a picture because of the player he's been. I quickly put my t-shirt on and had a nice picture with him but I noticed he was going over to the gym twice a day with his personal trainer. It just shows you his dedication to what he does."
There had been speculation about Ronaldo's position in the national team following Roberto Martinez's appointment as head coach in January 2023. However, Martinez praised his captain's "elite mindset" ahead of Portugal's Group F opener and has not suggested any plans to phase out the former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward.
The Portugal manager stated: "I faced Ronaldo while coaching Everton in 2013. For most players, when the body starts failing, the head accepts it. In his case, it seems to be the opposite. The body will only stop when the head says it has to stop."
"It's incredible when a player of his age has the habits and the desire of an 18-year-old. He has an elite-level mindset and no limits. He's been with the national team for 20 years now. That's unique."
