Portugal boss Roberto Martinez has revealed he was “surprised” by Cristiano Ronaldo’s humility and desire during his first meeting with the superstar striker.
Former Belgium coach Martinez, 50, replaced Fernando Santos in January after the country was eliminated by Morocco in the World Cup quarter-finals.
Ronaldo, 38, looked set to play his last major tournament after failing to lead Portugal to a fifth World Cup title.
But after scoring nine goals in seven games under Martinez, he has now expressed his desire to play in next year’s European Championships.
The former Wigan and Everton manager admitted he was shocked by Ronaldo’s attitude when he first spoke to the Real Madrid legend in Saudi Arabia.
Martinez told Cadena SER’s El Larguero program about his captain: “I never like choosing a name or joining a team without meeting the person behind the footballer.
“I try to get to know everyone on the World Cup roster and when I met Cristiano I found him to be a player who is willing to continue to give everything for his country.
“I see a guy who wants to be very loyal and serve the team in some way.
“It doesn’t have to be this way, a player like Cristiano, who has achieved everything…
“The truth is, I’m very surprised that he is so humble and eager to serve the team.
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“That’s the starting point and the foundation for all the players that come into the locker room.”
Ronaldo scored twice as Portugal qualified for Euro 2024 with a 5-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Monday.
Ronaldo scored a record 127 goals in 203 games for Portugal.
He helped the team win the 2016 European Cup and has an impressive record in major competitions – 22 goals in 47 games.